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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613004">Change of Destiny</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madthoughtsq/pseuds/Madthoughtsq'>Madthoughtsq</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Vampire Diaries &amp; Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Delena, F/M, Family Drama, Lemon, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:15:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>44,918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madthoughtsq/pseuds/Madthoughtsq</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After traveling ten years into the past Damon Salvatore finds himself asking how far he is willing to go to protect those he loves while also asking himself if he is the one who brings trouble down on all of Mystic Falls. </p><p>But with a dangerous enemy Damon must put his fears aside and trust those who have come to meen the world to him  and now the Mystic Falls Gang must unite to face this enemy who wants nothing more than to put Damon and everyone in Mystic Falls in the ground.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett/Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John, Caroline Forbes/Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Portals to Another Place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have been posting this story on fanfiction and have decided to start posting this and other stories here as well, I hope you all enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Cave Beneath Mystic Falls, Virginia</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>2018</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Damon Point of View</em>
</p><p>“This is how it ends Salvatore…I must admit I am disappointed” the dark-skinned man said almost conversationally despite the dire circumstances. Arcadius, Cade or Lucifer (he’d had many names over the centuries) knelt on the fainted skinned, dark-haired man. Damon Salvatore had given everything he had to stop Cade and it still had not been enough.</p><p>“You will live with your failure” Cade declared, standing, and walking over to the coffin in the corner of the cave. Damon rolled over and slowly rose to his knees, a hand clutching his chest. Red stains of blood dripped slowly through the dark fabric, but this didn’t seem to deter the vampire in the slightest.</p><p>“GET AWAY FROM HER” Damon roared, using what little strength he had rushing cade and sending him crashing into the wall, causing a thin mist of dust to fall from the rock ceiling. Damon rushed him again crashing straight into him and viciously punching and kicking. Suddenly Cade put his hand up and an invisible force seemed to knock Damon flying. He crashed into the wall a loud crack cracking, the sound echoing out in the cavernous space causing Damon to cry out in agony and hit the floor unable to move from where he lay.</p><p>“She truly is a beautiful soul,” Cade said, brushing the dust off his suit jacket and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.</p><p>“I can understand the attraction,” Cade said beginning to walk towards the coffin, Damon made a move to get up but whatever had been broken ( and he was pretty sure it was his pelvis) was keeping him down and no matter how hard he tried Damon, couldn’t get his legs to work as they should. Cade raised his hand towards the coffin and began to chant, a long-forgotten language that had been lost through the passage of time. Suddenly a portal burst open with a blinding flash of light and a burst of heat washed over the room.</p><p>“My soldiers will come through…we will take this world and you know why?” Cade said not realizing that Damon had subtly snapped his broken bones back into place and was gingerly moving towards Cade.</p><p>“Because the human flesh is weak, and the human mind is even weaker,” Cade said, closing his eyes and channeling even more power to be forced into the portal.</p><p>A faint glow was traveling from Cade outreached right hand, which was held steady over Elena’s coffin whilst the right held steady channeling even more power into the portal. Damon slowly rose to his feet and looked at Cade who was distracted by the magic that he was performing which had caused a literal hell on earth to be opened just below Mystic Falls. The plan had been different, Stefan was supposed to be here, but Damon had realized Cade’s intentions with Elena’s sleepy form which was hidden inside the coffin.</p><p>He needed a pure soul, a good and kind one and Elena was ready and unable to defend herself. If she had been awake Damon knew she would be doing everything she could to stop from taking her life, but the spell had cast on her left her nothing more than a sleeping beauty.</p><p>As Damon slowly took in the picture, he realized that his choices were rather limited, if he didn’t act Cade would suck the life force from Elena and use it to unleash hell on Earth and destroy Mystic Falls in the process. A sudden realization slid over Damon when he realized that he would have to make Cade close the portal…and the only way Damon knew for sure that would work would be if he pushed Cade in. It would be a one-way trip, but Damon had long ago made a vow to never let anything happen to Elena Gilbert or anyone she cared about, he would sacrifice anything…even his life.</p><p>As Damon slowly started to edge towards Cade, his footsteps feeling like his feet were made of lead Damon realized everything he was going to leave behind. It wasn’t just Elena who Damon had bonded within the years since his return to Mystic Falls all those years ago. Bonnie Bennet, the proud and strong witch whom he had become best friends flashed into his mind. Stefan followed quickly after, Damon remembered his smiling face when he had returned from the Civil Ware, barely alive atop his old stead who had served him well during that conflict. Caroline was next, her nagging voice and bubbly personality had helped him through some of his darkest days.</p><p>Finally, Elena filled his mind, her gorgeous brown eyes were the last thing he saw as Damon came within inches of Cades back, her smiling face as she saw him enter the Mystic Grille, rolling over to find her soft brown eyes staring at him with, wearing a smile and nothing else whilst stretched out in his bed, her chestnut brown locks billowed out on his pillow, he knew it that moment he would never love another being as much as he did her. As this final image burned into his mind Damon’s hand shot up and disappeared into Cade’s chest.</p><p>“What-what are you doing?” Cade asked in shock as he looked down to see the blood-forming on the front of his shirt, the force of Damon’s punch not only traveling through his heart but impaling Cade on Damon’s hand.</p><p>“What I have to do…I’m not letting you destroy my town, not if I have anything to say about it,” Damon said starting to push Cade forward towards the portal.<br/>Neither noticing that the power that had been being drained from Elena was now being taken from Damon. Cade put his hand out to stop his momentum, but Damon punched him face, which caused Cade to spin and fall to his knees, one hand outstretched behind struggling to keep the portal open whilst the other was stretched towards Damon who now fell to his knee’s; the spell Cade had been casting was working double time on Damon.</p><p>What neither Cade nor Damon had realized was the form of Lilly Salvatore watching the battle between the two unfold. Though she had failed her son in life she didn’t want to fail him in death, raising her hand in determination, the portal shifted from the being lit by the fires of hell, instead, a soft blue glow erupted, not a moment too soon either Damon as raised his eyes, anger and determination filling his look as he stood and grabbed Cade by the scruff of his collar, showing surprising strength for his injuries.</p><p>“Looks like we are going for a trip to hell Cade, I hear its nice this time of year,” Damon said before his vampire visage started to spread from his eyes.</p><p>Damon roared and threw Cade into the portal but not before the other man grabbed his wrist, forcing him to follow his trajectory and fall through the portal. The last thought that travelled through his mind was only a simple apology to the two people he cared about most.</p><p>I’m sorry Elena, I’m sorry Stefan…I didn’t have a choice Damon though as his eyes his closed and he fell through. As soon as both men fell through the portal it pulsated several times before evaporating into nothing, leaving nothing but a coffin and its sleeping occupant</p><p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls. Virginia</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>2011</strong>
</p><p>It was a quiet night in Mystic Falls as Damon pulled his powder blue Camaro into the Salvatore boarding house driveway. Damon sighed as he thought over the events of the night, Klaus and Stefan had returned to Mystic Falls with a vengeance. The sight of Elena unconscious in that hospital pierced his soul.</p><p>As he slowly walked up to her bedside, he saw the gauze on her neck and realized she had been fed on he swore he would rip and tear whatever had made her perfect skin. As he stopped just beside her bed, he picked up the tell-tale IV line and shook his head trying to suppress the rage he felt at seeing his angel hurt.</p><p>She’s not yours his demon whispered before Damon shut that avenue down before it took off. That was always the difference between himself and his brother; Damon had complete control of the monster and Stefan didn’t.</p><p>“Damon” whispered an angelic voice, sighing and letting out relieved breathe he slowly walked up to her.</p><p>“Hey” Damon whispered trying to convey as much love as he could with that one little word.</p><p>Wrapping one of her hands gently around her neck Damon slowly hoisted her into his arms. When her head was safely tucked into his neck, he slowly walked from the hospital swearing vengeance on those who harmed her and that they would have to step over his dead body to ever harm a head on her head again. After he had taken her from the hospital, back to the boarding house was there he swore to her that he would never leave her again.</p><p>After Stefan had returned, Damon had taken Elena to Matt Donovan house where the other members of their little group he had left swiftly spouting that he was going to have a word with his brother.</p><p>The sound of thunder cracking in the night sky and the sudden downpour snapped him out of his thoughts.</p><p>Odd Damon thought to himself, the weather forecast had not predicted this storm, hell it was supposed to clear skies for the next week.</p><p>Shaking his head about the odd weather patterns he opened the car door and stood in the rain for a moment, extending his hearing to take in all the sounds of the house. He couldn’t hear Stefan in the house, Damon was confident in the location of where Elena was; Matt had never invited Stefan, Klaus, Katherine or even himself. To his knowledge the only vampire who had acquired an invitation inside was Caroline.</p><p>A lightning strike less than 20 feet away made him jump (not that he would ever admit). Moving swiftly towards the door, he never noticed the dark clouds swirling above him or the next lightning strike coming straight down from the center and strike him directly in the chest.</p><p>Pain like nothing Damon experienced before shot through him as the lightning strike continued to surge through his body. As his body started to shut down from the pain his last thought was that Elena and thinking that he must have burned down a mirror shop in the past life.</p><p>The World Between Life and Death</p><p>
  <em>Damon Point of View</em>
</p><p>Where was he, Damon thought as he slowly gathered his bearings. Sitting up swiftly he took in his surroundings, he was in the Mystic Grill, but it looked completely different, there was a wide window where the bar once stood, and the styles of the tables and chairs had changed as well.</p><p>“Things change in 10 years” a voice spoke behind me, a voice that I had heard for the last 170 odd years, it was his voice.</p><p>Slowly turning his mouth dropped in shock at the figure that was sitting at the bar; it was a carbon copy of him. The Damon seated at the bar poured a glass of whiskey out of a bottle that seemed to appear, then suddenly another glass appeared in the air.</p><p>Damon sitting at the bar set about fixing a second drink as the Damon who had been lying on the floor stood up and slowly approached the spot at the bar where his…well doppelganger was seated.</p><p>“I’m not a doppelganger, I’m you…well give or take a decade or so” replied the Damon seated at the bar, slowly sliding a drink to a seat next to him that the other Damon had taken.</p><p>“Where are we?” Damon asked slowly taking in his surroundings.</p><p>“Between life and death” replied Damon taking a large swallow from his glass, enjoying the feel of it going down.</p><p>“What do you want?” Damon asked his double in shock, he was finally dead.</p><p>“Don’t worry it’s not permanent we could be in contact with one another” the other Damon replied giving himself a brief smirk. He took a deep breath and poured himself another bourbon, swirling the glass around.</p><p>“Our time is short, the events that led up to my being in this time and place are too complex to explain, what I want to do is this; merge our minds and souls,” The other Damon said causing the past Damon to drop his jaw in shock.</p><p>Damon thought about this for less than a second before a single thought entered his mind.</p><p>“Can I protect Elena better from Klaus?” Damon asked the other Damon, causing him to smirk into the glass.</p><p>“Of course,” the other Damon replied draining his second glass, after which he stood up and walked swiftly behind Damon causing him to stand and spin.</p><p>“I warn you” the other Damon replied, “if you decide to accept my soul into yours you will gain all of my memories…I will say there is pain but more happiness than we ever dreamed possible.”</p><p>“If you succeed in changing things your happiness…our happiness will be a casualty”</p><p>The other Damon replied. Present Damon thought on his double’s words before the same words as before came from his mouth.</p><p>“Can I protect Elena better from Klaus?” present Damon replied causing the other Damon simply smirked in response and took a step closer.</p><p>“You will be able to protect her from any threat I know of; my knowledge of the future will be yours” the other Damon finished.</p><p>“Let’s do this then,” present Damon said picking his glass from the bar and throwing the rest of the whiskey down his throat. The other Damon simply smirked in response and raised his hand.</p><p>“Raise your hands and join them with me and whatever you do…do not fight this too much” the other Damon replied barely giving present before he snatched both his hands and the pain started again…but it quickly grew and centered around his head, it felt like someone was shoving a hot piece of metal into his brain.</p><p>Memories started to flash before his eyes, it felt as if he was reliving the moments of his future self. His memories of Elena were the strongest and the last image Damon had before everyone went black was a pair of brown doe eyes that lit up his world.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls. Virginia</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>2011</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Damon came to slowly take stock of his body but as soon as he tried, he realized every inch of himself was in agony.</p><p>“Damon, Damon are you ok?” a voice sounded through the haze of pain. Wrenching his eyes open his stared into the concerned brown eyes of the love of his eternal existence; Elena Gilbert.</p><p>“I’m fine Elena” shaking himself off trying to calm himself.</p><p>“What happened?” Damon asked Elena looking everywhere he possibly could but into her eyes…if he did, he doubt he would be able to keep his composure.</p><p>Elena’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, both at his inability to remember the events that led up to his unconscious.</p><p>“You were struck by lightning Damon…how do you feel?” Elena asked with concern laced in her voice.</p><p>Damon raised his eyebrows at Elena, seeing the concern shining through behind her brown doe eyes before she looked away from the intensity of the moment. Even that momentarily meeting of the eyes had sent Elena’s hear racing and a small smile to appear on Damon’s face</p><p>As he stared at Elena, the memories of what would happen would to her irrevocably. It was difficult to separate his future memories from his memories. Everything was jumbled and Damon took a deep breath to stop his spinning head. Damon stood up slowly and took stock of his clothes.</p><p>There was a singed hole in the middle of his shirt, where the bolt of lightning struck. His skin was red and raw however it appears to have already healed causing Elena’s eyebrows to shoot up higher if that was possible.</p><p>“How did you heal so fast? ” Elena asked, a slight tinge of disbelief showing on her face.</p><p>“I don’t know Elena” Damon replied slowly looking at the women he loved more than his existence for a moment.</p><p>Damon moved before Elena knew what was happening, he moved fast then he had ever moved in his life appearing in front of Elena. He pulled her into a hug, crushing her to him. He knew this was out of character but the feel of her warm body against reassured him that she was alive and awake, her arms slowly wrapped around his neck gently, unsure of exactly how to act. Damon savored this moment as he realized where and when he was.</p><p>He would change things, he would make sure Bonnie didn’t suffer through her tragedies, that Stefan would not lose more of his humanity than he already had, Alaric would not suffer through the tragedies of his lost loves, Caroline would not lose her humanity in the future. But most of all, Elena would not suffer as she had in the future. She would not turn into a vampire, he would ensure she would get everything she wanted out of life even if that life did not include him in it.</p><p>The greatest threat to Elena Damon had come to realize was himself; he was dangerous to be around, the greatest threat he thought he posed to Elena, the main reason he felt he would do would be to change her. Though they had their happy times in the future that as he thought about them caused a stab of longing to pierce his very soul. He would do anything to ensure that protect her dream of a normal human life.</p><p>Without Damon in her life, his mother would not have told Kai about the spell that had entrapped her in the world of dreams. He would protect her, and as he slowly released Elena and turned his head away, he felt a resolved form, an iron wall slamming down around his heart. He would protect his family and the woman he loved even if it cost him his life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Memories and Conversations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, I have already written this story and am just doing further editing on it, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, so please enjoy the chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elena had helped Damon stand up and move slowly into the boarding house and up the stairs to his room, the second Damon walked in the front door memories from his future life assaulted his mind. Dancing with Elena in front of the fire from their first night together, cuddling up with Elena on the couch over that magical summer before she went off to college. </p>
<p>Stop it, Damon, they haven’t happened yet and never will Damon thought sourly to himself. Damon stepped away from Elena who was watching him curiously as if his movements were confusing to her. Damon strode directly over to his drink car and poured himself a double shot of bourbon, swallowing it down in a mouthful before pouring himself another. Elena took a seat on the couch bewildered by Damon’s current behaviour, she was used to him taking every advantage to close to her, but suddenly he was barely looking at her and she could feel him shaking against her just before he pulled away. </p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re ok Damon?” Elena asked softly taking a seat on one of the couches just in front of the fireplace. Damon looked at quickly and gave her a soft smile before wiping it quickly from his face.<br/>
“I’m fine Elena…what are you doing here…you shouldn’t be here” Damon murmured to her softly; Damon hoped she wouldn’t detect the hint of reverence in his voice as he said her name. </p>
<p>“You didn’t answer your phone…and I was worried Stefan had done something to you” Elena murmured slowly looking at her hands that were fidgeting in her lap. Looking at her fully it was easy to see how…young she looked. Damon has fantasized over the years what he would say to her when he saw her again but now looking at her all words failed him. She wasn’t his Elena…not yet and if he had anything to do with it he would ensure she would never know the curse of immortality, her life would not be put on hold because of a vindictive warlock…he would make sure of it. Damon realized Elena was still looking at him, Damon quickly shook himself out of it and slid composed his into something expressionless. </p>
<p>“So, what can I do for the lovely Elena today?” Damon asked standing up and walking over to the armchair opposite her.</p>
<p>“I called Alaric this morning… I want to learn how to protect myself” Elena murmured, looking down at her hands again.  </p>
<p>“That’s a good idea, Elena…with Stefan, in full-on ripper mode and Klaus out there it would be a good idea for you to learn to protect yourself…after all, I can’t always be saving the damsel in distress” Damon spoke wiggling his eyebrows towards the end and doing the eye thing that he knew drove her crazy. He stopped himself again…it was so easy to fall into old patterns with her, that easy companionship that he had never found before her.</p>
<p>“Seriously Damon…I was wondering if you could help Alaric train me,” Elena asked, rolling her eyes at his comment.</p>
<p>“Sure, Elena I can help when do you want to start?” Damon asked softly standing to pour himself another drink causing Elena to frown at him. </p>
<p>Yes, she was used to his day drinking but even for him, this many drinks in the morning was out of character…at least with how Damon had acted the last several months since Stefan left. </p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re ok?” Elena asked again, looking over him with her brown eyes, it took every ounce of his willpower not to reach out and take her into his arms. </p>
<p>“I’m fine Elena” Damon replied looking down into his drink again. </p>
<p>He couldn’t handle the emotional tidal wave that was hitting him as he looked at her.</p>
<p>“Ok…if you’re sure, Alaric and I are going to start training tomorrow at 6 a.m. at the Fells church ruins,” Elena said standing up swiftly, ready to head home and off to school. </p>
<p>Wow, she was still in high school, the thought made him shake his head in disbelief. He needed time away, time to process and time to plan. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn’t been able to capture his breath yet.</p>
<p>“I will see you then Elena…and please I know you're worried about Stefan and you want him back but please call me before you come over,” Damon said as he walked her to the door, opening it for her. She went to walk through before she stopped at the door and turned to face him. </p>
<p>“Ok…will I see you tonight, Ric is cooking dinner or he going to try to,” Elena said reaching out and placing her hand on his forearm. He felt his skin burn where she touched and heard her sharp intake of breath…she had felt it too. Damn it, the bond is still there, he had thought that with his travelling through time and her not being a vampire the blood bond that existed between them would disappear.</p>
<p>“Yeah of course I will see you then, I will talk to you later Elena I have some things I have to door” Damon replied stepping away from her and looking at his shoes. He didn’t notice the hurt look come across her face.  Elena murmured a bye and walked out to her car, if she had looked back at Damon, she would have seen the look of longing he was throwing her as she slowly walked to her car. </p>
<p>Damon closed the door and walked slowly back down the stairs, pouring another drink. As he sipped his bourbon, he walked slowly up the stairs sorting out his memories when suddenly a place started to form…it was crazy and insane, and a lot of things could go wrong but if it worked, he would get Stefan away from Klaus and use that same leverage to protect Elena. But this was only the first step, there were other threats to Elena, Stefan and everyone else he cared about in this quiet little town threats that he would silence if it was the last thing he would ever do.</p>
<p>******************************************************************************************************************************************************************



</p><p>	Damon stood in the woods in front of the abandoned witches house contemplating the best way to go about this. Damon had no other choice other than to come here, his usual witch now couldn’t stand the sight of him. Almost everyone would hate him now with a few exceptions. Sighing Damon walked up the steps and as he neared the door it swung inwards on itself as if inviting him in. Walking into the abandoned house he starting to hear whispering as if a hundred voices were jockeying to be heard, however, the only word he could make out was a single one…basement. </p>
<p>As Damon walked down the stairs into the basement, he spied the candles that had been used to resurrect Jeremy several months earlier…something else that had been his fault. The second his foot hit the basement floor the voices ceased talking and he was alone…but he had the distinct feeling he was being watched. </p>
<p>“Hello…Emily I need your help” Damon murmured. </p>
<p>He waited several moments before shaking his head; the witches had never liked him, and he doubts they would start now. As he turned, he came face to face with a woman he hadn’t seen in close to a century and a half; Emily Bennet. </p>
<p>“Hello Damon, it has been a long time,” Emily said smiling slightly. </p>
<p>“What’s happening to me…these memories that conversation is it real?” Damon asked in desperation. </p>
<p>“Yes, they are…you have been given a chance to right your wrongs…that if you so choose” Emily replied. </p>
<p>“I have a choice?” Damon asked. </p>
<p>“Yes, you do…you can use your memories for selfish gain, use your knowledge to manipulate the situation to your benefit or…” Emily said trailing off towards the end. </p>
<p>“Or?” Damon asked. </p>
<p>“Or you can use this as a second chance to undo your mistakes…the witches believe there has been an unbalance in nature, and you have been sent to make it right” Emily replied as she slowly started to circle him </p>
<p>“Several years ago, I would have made a different choice but now…I have people I care about” Damon replied. </p>
<p>Emily stopped circling him and smiled, she held out her hand and in a flash of flames a piece of parchment appeared. She slowly walked to Damon who was looking at her with curiosity in his eyes.<br/>
“If you succeed this piece of paper will give you the life you always wanted…and Damon be careful you were not the only one to travel back,” Emily said as Damon looked over the piece of paper.</p>
<p>“Cade” Damon murmured causing his fist that did not hold the paper to ball up in anger. </p>
<p>“Yes…but I suspect you have time to prepare the portal that he completed that brought you here drained a great deal of his power, but he will come for you,” Emily said causing Damon to frown. </p>
<p>“I have work to do” Damon murmured turning and walking up the stairs, Emily’s eyes followed him up. Emily cocked her head to the side as whispers started to build again through the now empty house. </p>
<p>“I believe he will succeed…at least I hope he will” Emily murmured disappearing in a shimmer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon walked up the boarding house stairs and slowly opened the door and coming face to face with the second to last person he wanted to see. Stefan was in the lounge room with three women in varying stages of undress, bite marks littered their arms. It physically hurt Damon to see his brother like this; he was his big brother and it was his job to take care of Stefan. The man in question looked up and saw Stefan looked at him with concern for the briefest of seconds.</p>
<p>“What the hell happened to you?” Stefan asked his brother causing him to look down.</p>
<p>In all the chaos since last night, he had yet to change his shirt from the when he was struck by lightning. </p>
<p>“I’m fine Stefan thanks for your concern,” Damon said shaking himself, slipping his mask into place and he walked down the stairs. </p>
<p>“You know same as usual, got struck by lightning” Damon replied fixing himself a drink and turning to stare at Stefan</p>
<p>“You were struck by lightning Damon…how do you feel?” Stefan asked with concern in his voice. </p>
<p>Damon raised his eyebrows at his little brother, seeing the concern shining through his brothers’ eye before he slammed a wall behind, hiding behind the switch that Damon knew didn’t exist for either of them anymore. As he stared at his little the memories would happen would change him irrevocably. </p>
<p>“I don’t know Stefan” Damon replied slowly looking at his brother for a moment. </p>
<p>Damon moved before Stefan had a chance appearing behind him and locking his arms around his neck before wrenching violently and temporarily killing his brother. Stefan hit the ground with a resounding thud and Damon looked down at his brother in sadness in his eyes. As Damon fed the woman some blood and compelled them to forget everything about his brother.</p>
<p>It broke his heart to have to do this to him, but at the current time, he was one of the greatest threats to his mission. When boiled down would not come as a surprise to anyone who knew him (well from the future) his mission was simple; protect Elena and her loved ones at all costs. </p>
<p>Though this was his main mission he also wanted to set right what he had done and protected the people he had come to call a family when his humanity switch became locked in the on position. Elena had changed him and when Damon felt it happening Damon raged against it until one night, in the magical summer Damon had spent with Elena she had confronted him about it. </p>
<p>FLASHBACK</p>
<p>Damon stood in front of the fire, tightly coiled as if he was a wounded predator that would attack at the slightest provocation. Elena was spending the night with Jeremy and that had left Damon to his thoughts, Damon had been in an introspective mood and was conflicted more than he had ever been in his life. Yesterday Damon had gotten up to make his usual pancakes, he just finished his and was preparing the next batch when Jeremy walked in dressed as if he had just rolled out of bed.</p>
<p>“Hey, Damon...you making breakfast,” Jeremy asked coming to seat at one of the stools. </p>
<p>Damon smirked and turned from Jeremy taking the pancakes out of the frying pan and fixing them on a plate. Damon walked over to Jeremy with the plate and placed it in front with the youngest Gilbert causing him to smirk in gratitude</p>
<p>“Thanks, man” Jeremy smiled at him before getting into the pancakes. </p>
<p>Jeremy and Damon chatted for a couple of minutes about mundane things and telling jokes. Damon had just said something to Jeremy causing him to erupt in laughter. A clearing of the throat behind him caused Damon to freeze and turn slowly coming face to face with his girlfriend; Elena Gilbert. </p>
<p>“Do I want to know?” Elena asked raising her eyebrows at them. Damon and Jeremy shared a look before they replied at the same time.</p>
<p> As Damon took his girlfriend in, he realised what she was wearing, a pair of his silk boxers with one of his dark shirts covering his slim frame. God, what did he do to deserve her Damon thought to himself. Damon walked over to her, slowly taking her into his causing her to melt into his arms and Jeremy pretended to gag into his breakfast. </p>
<p>“Look I know you are with my sister but do you have to rub it in my face?” Jeremy asked causing Damon to smirk at the youngest Gilbert. </p>
<p>“Hey cut me some slack mini Gilbert…I have a lot of catching up to do,” Damon said smirking down at Elena. </p>
<p>Before Elena knew what was happening Damon had captured her lips in a soft and gentle kiss, causing Jeremy to start throwing things at the pair. Damon caught the fork he threw with a smirk and turned to Elena again, </p>
<p>“Breakfast is on the table…well human breakfast” Damon said smirking at Elena. </p>
<p>“I’m going to grab our vamp breakfast from the basement” Damon continued releasing her and walking down the stairs. </p>
<p>As Damon contemplated his current living situation, he shook his head, he caught himself; he wasn’t just feeling happy because of Elena but also because of Jeremy. Damon had a cold realization wash over him, he cared about Jeremy almost in the same way he did Stefan like a brother. God what had happened to him, he had become someone who cares and in the vampire world caring got you killed.</p>
<p>Damon came back to himself as he heard a throat clearing behind him; Damon turned slowly and found Elena looking at him with love in her eyes, something that Damon was not accustomed to. </p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” Damo asked causing Elena to smirk softly at him.</p>
<p>She slowly walked over to him and took his hands in her slim ones, it felt as if his hand had been made to hold hers. She slowly rubbed her thumb across his whilst raising her other hand to his cheek in a gently caress causing him to sigh softly into it and kiss it softly. </p>
<p>“Have I changed?” Damon asked softly causing Elena to smile at him. </p>
<p>“Is this what was wrong today… you were quiet all day even Jeremy noticed” Elena replied. </p>
<p>“I think you have but Damon it just wasn’t you have changed…I have changed too its not a bad thing,” Elena said causing Damon to frown. </p>
<p>“Elena…I haven’t felt anything since 1958…I don’t know how to handle this…it was difficult enough coming to terms with my love for you but realizing I care about your brother I don’t know what to do with this” Damon asked turning around and facing the fire. </p>
<p>Elena stood behind him, wrapping her arms around him and causing him to melt into her embrace.</p>
<p>“I love you Damon Salvatore…and I’m always here for you remember that” Elena murmured to him causing him to relax like nothing else. </p>
<p>Damon raised his hands and took her ones in his, gently kissing her hands and then holding her hands gently. </p>
<p>“I love you more…you have no idea how much,” Damon said turning and taking her into his arms. </p>
<p>Damon felt her smirk into his neck, she gently nipped there causing Damon to let out a groan of pleasure.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you show me how much” Elena murmured to him. Damon swiftly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder moving towards the bed causing her to erupt into laughter. </p>
<p>Damon spends the next couple of hours showing Elena just how much he loved her before they collapsed together as the morning rays of the new day slowly started to stream through the window. </p>
<p>END FLASHBACK.</p>
<p>The sound of his brother graining caused Damon to look at his brother who was now locked in chains and checked his phone again for what felt like the hundredth time. It was still early morning, however, his vampire instincts told him that the sun would be rising soon. Suddenly Stefan took a deep breath and started to shoot Damon a look that would melt steel. </p>
<p>“What the hell do you think you’re doing Damon?” Stefan spat at his brother. Damon rolled his eyes at brother and kneeled in front of him. </p>
<p>“I’m going to show you your humanity” Damon replied. </p>
<p>Stefan shook his head and strained against the chains to no avail, Stefan hissed again in rage at his brother.</p>
<p>“What the hell do you care, this is perfect for you, WHY DO YOU CARE?” Stefan said, his voice slowly building until he was screaming at his older brother. </p>
<p>Damon took a deep breath and decided, unlike last time he would be more honest with his brother. </p>
<p>“Because you’re my brother Stefan, and I can’t leave you like this…I did that once before in 1912 and I won’t do that again” Damon replied causing Stefan’s eyes to widen in shock. </p>
<p>Damon slowly stood and backed out of the cell that was housed the boarding house basement. Locking it behind him Damon walked up the stairs and poured himself a drink when suddenly his phone rang.  Looking down at his phone he saw Elena picture and name appearing on his phone causing his undead heart to skip a beat. </p>
<p>“Hey Elena,” Damon said softly in the phone. </p>
<p>“Hi Damon, do you think you could meet me and the others after school I have a plan to deal with Stefan” Elena replied causing Damon to frown. </p>
<p>Last time her plan her not worked and it was Damon spending bonding time with his brother. Damon had his plans for Stefan, and they were not ones that Elena would approve, but Damon couldn’t tip his hand just yet.  </p>
<p>“Yeah, sure Elena” Damon replied, after which Elena told him the time, they would be meeting up at Alaric’s classroom.</p>
<p> Damon hung up his phone and looked at it for a moment before he punched in a number, he had learned several years before…or in the future. It still hurt his head thinking about. As Damon raised the phone to his ears, he hoped that he was not making a mistake.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did everyone think, this story diverges pretty strongly from the show as it goes on and I have one chapter left until it is completed so I will be attempting to upload a chapter a day to every two days depending on how work allows, please let me know what you think of the story and as always till next time</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Past Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi all </p>
<p>Hope you are all enjoying the story, things are going to start to go off in a different direction to the show and I hope you enjoy the show.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Mystic Fall High School, </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Early Evening</strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon had arrived at Alaric’s classroom a full 30 minutes before he was supposed to with the “gang”, a small group of misfits that he had come to call family. He was using every technique he knew to calm himself because not only was he apprehensive about meeting his friends (most of whom currently hated him…and he couldn’t exactly fault them), he was also terrified about what he was about to both ask of the group and tell them. Whilst Damon had been making plans, he had been making a list of people who he could trust with the truth in case he failed; he had scribbled Enzio name down on the paper before freezing and looking down at the paper, his hand now slightly shaking.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Enzio was currently still being held by the Augustine society beneath Whitemore campus, as soon as he realised this his plans that he had been making since he made that phone call 20 minutes earlier it all came to a screeching halt. Damon couldn’t let Enzio suffer at the hands of those people, but he had struggled to come up with a way to rescue without involving anyone else. He had realized that he couldn’t do it on his own, he was going to need help. There was no way around not disclosing the fact that he had been a former guest, the rage and the bloodlust he would feel when he returned to place would wash over him in waves making him a slave to the monster within. It had taken him many years to come to terms with what had been done to him and it hadn’t been until he had met Elena that he had found a way to soothe the pain those memories still held over him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The opening of the classroom door broke Damon out of this internal thought, he turned slightly from his spot looking out the window. Alaric stood in the doorway, looking younger than he had in years, when he caught sight of Damon, he quickly scowled at him. Damon realised he had killed him several days ago and according to his memories he had yet to apologize. Alaric closed the door behind and moved to sit behind his desk, opening his desk and moving several things around. Damon raised the bottle of scotch that he held in hand and shook it slightly getting Alaric’s attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not bad enough you kill me, but now you're stealing my scotch too?” Alaric growled Damon causing him to raise his hands in surrender.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look I wanted to talk before the others got here,” Damon said moving over to his desk.</p>
<p>Damon reached down in the cabinet and pulled out several small glasses, he poured both himself and Alaric a drink. Damon pushed a drink over to him and raised his own to his lips swallowing the whole thing down in one go. Damon lowered the glass and poured himself another but unlike last time he stared down into preparing himself for the conversation at hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look I was…wrong I shouldn’t have killed you,” Damon said taking a drink out of his glass of scotch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon hadn’t realised Alaric was taking a sip of his drink until he heard Alaric sputtering out the scotch he had just drunk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry…did the infamous Damon Salvatore apologize for his actions?” Alaric asked in disbelief, his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. Damon rolled his eyes at his friend, taking another drink and refilling Alaric’s glass as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look I shouldn’t have killed you ok…we’re friends and I’m sorry I shouldn’t have killed you” Damon murmured looking at Alaric who gazing him with the look of disbelief on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wow…hell has officially frozen over,” Alaric said to Damon who snorted in response,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If only we could be so lucky” Damon murmured under his breathe but by the confused look on Alaric’s face told Damon that he had heard him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” Alaric asked with confusion in his voice, Damon shook his head in response.   </p>
<p>“Look are we good, I can hear Elena, Bonnie and Caroline coming and I would rather not have this conversation in front of them,” Damon said, walking around the desk and holding out his hand in a peace offering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alaric looked down at it for a moment before he took it and shook it firmly in response causing a relieved breath to escape Damon’s mouth. Damon dropped his hand and walked back over to the window with his glass of scotch in his hand. He heard the voices of Bonnie, Caroline and his love, Elena coming from just outside the door. He could sense here even before she turned down the corridor of Alaric’s classroom. <em>It’s the blood bond </em>a voice whispered in his ear.  As Elena walked through the door with her friends Bonnie and Caroline it felt like the whole world had stopped, it had been years since he had heard her voice and it was honey to his ears.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey Ric, Hey Damon thanks for coming” Elena murmured smiling at both of them, Damon quickly quashed any feelings he was having at that time. He couldn’t have Elena sensing his feelings, it shouldn’t have been possible for that bond to exist as Elena wasn’t a vampire and they hadn’t shared blood. Damon would have to look into this further, however, at present, he probably should have been paying attention to what everyone was saying.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon, can you help distract Rebekah”?” Elena asked making Damon pay attention to what was going on around him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Caroline and Bonnie were giving him a thinly veiled look of contempt; they still hated him, and he couldn’t in good conscious blame them. He had been a monster to Caroline and being indirectly responsible for Sheila Bennet’s death. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Change of plans…I already have Stefan locked up in the Salvatore boarding house basement” Damon replied causing an explosion of voices in the room.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Everything from “What the hell were you thinking” from Ric to “You’re not only a dick your insane as well” that gem was from Caroline. Damon let them go on for a couple more minutes but whilst the room was screaming at each other Elena had caught Damon’s eye and the look she was shooting him rooted him in place. It was a look of complete trust; as if she understands what he was doing and agreed with him. That shouldn’t be right, she should be one of the first screaming at him, hell she didn’t like any his plans but now she was looking at him the way she used to; with absolute trust.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Shut up” Damon screamed at the room causing everyone to stop talking and look at him in shock and some with fear.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Look I have a plan for Stefan…I just need three days if it doesn’t work we can try a different way” Damon murmured causing Caroline to scoff.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Like you want to help…you probably love having Stefan on human blood, it makes you look like the hero” Caroline snapped at Damon causing a wave of hurt to wash over him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the future, he and Caroline had long since buried the hatchet and she had become a sister to him after she had married Stefan. It quickly buried the pain, but not before he saw Elena grab her chest and look at him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yeah, I planned the whole thing…including the part where I got bitten to save your life blondie” Damon spat back at her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Caroline got up and started to move towards Damon, waves of rage coming off her. Elena quickly moved between the two causing Damon to move more quickly than he realised. He trusted Caroline but she was still a newborn vampire and he didn’t want her rage harming Elena in any way.  He quickly put himself between himself and Elena; if Caroline wanted a punching bag, he would give it to her.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Caroline that’s enough” Elena snapped at her friend causing the room to stop in shock including Elena. In the original timeline, Elena hadn’t started standing up for him, using that <em>voice</em>, the one that promised violence on the one she was projecting it to. A hint of pride erupted within him, that fire she possessed was part of the reason he fell in love with her. <em>Damn it </em>Damon thought, she was giving him that look again the one that said she could see right through him, but it was her look that shocked him. There was a look of longing and love that shouldn’t exist yet…<em>what the hell</em> Damon thought yet again.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon feels guilty enough as it is, you don’t have to throw in his face how Stefan is right now” Elena continued, moving from behind me and facing her friend.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You're defending the dick?” Caroline threw at Elena causing her to stop short and another stab of pain to shoot through Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yes, Caroline I am…he might have been a horrible person to you, but he’s changed, and he doesn’t need you throwing his mistakes in his face or did you forget about the man you killed?” Elena screamed at Carline before she raised her hand to mouth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Caroline had a look of shock on her face and she shot Elena a face full of pain before she turned around and stormed out of the classroom quickly followed by Bonnie who shot both Damon and Elena a look of contempt. Damon sighed when he heard the door slam, the pain he felt from both the words Caroline and the looks he had received had left him raw. He moved back to the window picking up the bottle of bourbon and looking out the window ignoring the concerned glances Ric and Elena were shooting each other.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You shouldn’t have done that Elena…I’m not worth it” Damon replied, self-hatred evident in his voice. Elena moved over quickly and took his hands in hers causing heat and sparks to surge through Damon’s body and judging by the accelerated heartbeat and catch of breath.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You are worth it Damon…I wouldn’t care about you if you were still that person” Elena murmured to him looking down at their joined hands. Damon sighed and smiled softly at her; not one of his sarcastic smiles but a soft one he reserved just for her.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “I appreciate it, but I was going to ask for their help…I have a situation” Damon murmured walking back over to Alaric’s desk and taking a seat behind it. Alaric was still looking at Elena with a look Damon couldn’t figure out before he seemed to hear what Damon said; if his apology was one thing Damon Salvatore asking for help was unheard of.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “I’m sorry but did you just you need their help…with what we’re already working the Klaus situation what else is there?” Alaric asked causing Damon to pour a drink and push it across the desk.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“A friend of mine is in trouble…and I need help getting him out of it” Damon murmured causing Elena to step forward and sit on the corner of the desk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Damn it</em> Damon thought, for some reason on his end the bond had been fully formed, she had access to his feelings and emotions but for some reason, he couldn’t feel her emotions; it was as if the bond was only active on his end but it still thrummed just beneath the surface of Elena’s emotions. All it would require would be to blood share but now he had too much to worry about in the current circumstances.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did I ever tell you about nephew Joseph Salvatore?” Damon asked causing Ric to shake his head no but Elena to step back slightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You killed him in 1953…didn’t you?” Elena asked causing Damon to sigh. It would seem Stefan had gotten around to share what had happened with Elena…though Stefan had only ever known one half of the story.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, I did and the reason for that is the son of a bitch sold me out to a bunch of sadists” Damon spat out causing shocked looks to pass over their faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean Damon?” Ric asked softly, Damon was confused for a moment before he realised, he had stood and was gripping the table to the point where it had erupted in splinters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry…this is just hard” Damon murmured looking down “its something I’ve lived with for over 60 years.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon talk to me” Elena murmured walking over to him and laying her hand on his shoulder. It was like someone had vacuumed all of the stress out his body with just her touch; she always could calm him with a look or a touch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Joseph sent Stefan and I telegrams requesting that we come home…that it was for a family emergency” Damon murmured picking up the bottle of bourbon and taking a swig.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I arrived home first…everything seemed fine until Joseph offered me a drink…it had been laced with vervain and before I knew what was happening he had shot me fell of vervain…the son of a bitch betrayed me so I shoved my glass into his throat,” Damon said looking at Elena when he admitted to what he had done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was no judgement reflected in Elena’s eyes she stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm around him resting her head on his shoulder, even Alaric didn’t say a word about how Elena and Damon looked; the story was only beginning, and it appeared it wouldn’t have a happy ending.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“After that, I was taken hostage by the Augustine society…they are humans who are aware of the supernatural and study it scientifically…they focus on vampires” Damon murmured wrapping an arm around Elena unconsciously.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What…what happened?” Elena asked in fear, she wanted to know the answer but at the same time, she didn’t.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They…studied me” Damon replied causing Alaric to look at him in shock “they cut me open, took out my lungs…cut out pieces to see how it regenerate…they tortured me for five years” Damon choked out taking a second to compose himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could feel Elena rubbing her chest with one hand in a gentle manner soothing Damon raging emotions. He quickly brought them under control…for the moment. There would be a time he would lose control later in private away from the world but at the moment he had a friend to rescue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Enzo is the reason I’m alive he was a vampire in the cell next to mine…they gave us blood rations, enough to heal us but not enough to make us strong” Damon continued walking away from Elena looking the school window, Damon was lost to the haze of the past.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Enzo gave me his blood rations and for a year we waited for our moment and it came…they liked to show off their ‘specimens’, I was able to get free but in the struggle, a fire started,” Damon said taking a shuddering to breathe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wasn’t strong enough to get us both out and the house was burning around us so I made a choice…I chose to survive by letting my best friend burn to death,” Damon said almost choking out the words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His ability to feel emotions stemmed from his relationship with Elena; she had a way of bringing out the best of him but now he was sharing one of his darkest secrets and he was afraid of how she would look at him now. She had understood in the future but that was after she had seen first hand what the Augustine Society was capable of. </p>
<p>            “To survive I turned my emotions off…my emotions were switched off for a long time but now I…their back and I can’t turn them off anymore,” Damon said taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Alaric’s desk.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>He put his head into his hands and took a deep breath, he missed the ability to not care, to not fell…that was until he felt <em>her </em>hand on his arm. Looking up he found Elena’s deep brown eyes boring into his. She raised one of her hands to his cheek and gently caressed it sending a burst of warmth straight to his heart. My god how he had missed her gentle touch and at the moment, with being this open and raw with two of the people he cared about most in the world, he drank in her attention.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“It wasn’t your fault Damon if you hadn’t turned off your emotions you would have died” Elena murmured to Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I should have died...it should have been me, not him” Damon said brokenly barely holding it together.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“NO no don’t you dare say that” Elena murmured to Damon raising her other hand to his cheek and forcing him to look into her eyes.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You did what you had to do to survive and this might sound selfish of me but if I meant losing you or losing your friend, I choose you,” Elena said vehemently to Damon. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was shocked with the fierceness in her voice, yet again he made a note to find a witch ASAP and find out how the bond is affecting them. He did not want to Elena to have to deal with his emotions, she had once told him she would always be there to share any burden he was going through but he couldn’t ask that of her, she deserved better than him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What do you need help with Damon?” Ric asked quietly breaking Elena and Damon out of their spell.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon had an expected a look of discouragement but rather he had one of sympathy and understanding. Alaric, even in this time knew the effect Elena had on him and he was quietly allowing them to express their emotions without judgement…something that Elena said she had always felt from her friends when she had first chosen Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I found out recently that the society still exists…and Enzio survived the fire and he’s been held captive all this time,” Damon said to their shocked faces.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I need your help getting him out, that is if you will help me?” Damon asked looking at Alaric and Elena as he finished. They shared a look between each other before Elena nodded at Ric who sighed in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Alright, when do we do this?” Ric replied causing Damon to smile at him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tomorrow night…I can’t leave him there for much longer,” Damon said standing up from his desk and moving towards the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon needed time to rebuild his defences and not only that he had to feed, and he couldn’t do that in Mystic Falls…he might lose control. Control over his emotions had never been a problem until Sybil had taken residence in his head and she had done some redecorating whilst she had been there, and Damon was still recovering from not only that but from his emotionally charged conversation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Damon moved towards the door, he heard Elena saying she would talk to Caroline and Bonnie, Alaric was asking whether Damon wanted a drink and suddenly it felt like his chest was on fire. Walking towards the door he nearly ripped it off its hinges in his haste to get away from the pain. He heard Elena’s voice following him down the school corridors before he burst out of the entrance of the school disappearing into the night, his demons chasing him into the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Late Evening. </strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon returned to the boarding house after a long evening of wandering the woods and looking for his next victim. When he had come across a couple of hikers, he had not wasted any time into ripping into their necks, he had been close to draining the first one dry when a voice sounded to stop…<em>her voice</em> told him to stop and he had. After that, he had fed the campers some blood and started the long journey back to the house. As Damon came into view of the front porch, he noticed Elena’s car in the driveway, he sighed in frustration. He had asked for a couple of days, just a few and he would have Stefan sorted.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon came through the door expecting a heartbeat to be sounding down in the cellar or whispered words of love between his brother and the woman he loved but he sensed none of that. Instead what he found was his angel asleep on the couch. There had been many times in the past…or was it the future Damon still hadn’t figured that out, he and Elena had wrapped themselves in each other on the couch. Shaking himself out of his thoughts he moved to his drink car by the fireplace and fixed himself a double shot of his favourite whiskey.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Your home” a soft voice whispered from behind him causing him to turn and face Elena. She was slowly sitting up and stretching causing Damon’s breathe to catch when a sliver of skin revealed itself in her movements.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yeah, had to check up on the in-mate downstairs” Damon smirked at her as she frowned at him in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Don’t do that” Elena murmured looking down at her hands “Don’t shut me out.”</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I’m sorry…I’m doing the best I can” Damon murmured as he moved towards the couch. He gently raised her legs that were still spread out over the couch before he placed them on his lap.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I know…Damon why didn’t you ever tell me or Stefan?” Elena asked quietly causing Damon to snort out a sarcastic laugh.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Stefan didn’t care…I was missing for five years and he didn’t even bother to look for me,” Damon said in bitterness. The wound still hurt, the fact that not only did he not look for him, but he had assumed the worst in Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell me?” Elena asked softly causing Damon to frown further and look at her.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“How could I have done…please I want to know…if I hadn’t found out Enzo was still alive, I would have kept it myself” Damon murmured looking away from her.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon heard rustling and suddenly he felt her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You don’t have to hide from me” Elena murmured at him causing Damon’s feeling towards Elena rushing to the surface.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>The blood bond seemed to flare open of its own accord and Damon knew she was feeling how he felt about her, the love he felt, the fear that he would never be good enough for her and the terrifying thoughts that he would not be enough to protect her. Elena was looking at him like she had in the future; as if he was her whole world, the most important thing in it before it all became too much. Damon quickly stood and started to walk out the door throwing excuses about needing to hunt and he disappeared again into the night, running from his angel.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What did you think of the story, I hope you enjoyed it and as always till next time...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Rescue of an Old Friend and Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, here is the latest chapter I hope you are all enjoying it I apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Unknown Highway, West Virginia </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Early Morning </strong>
</p>
<p>The SUV sped down the highway barely abiding by the speed limit as the early rays of the sun broke over the horizon, Damon sat behind the wheel contemplating the plan for the hundredth time. After Damon had fled the boarding house, he had wandered in the woods, finding peace and centring himself. His emotions were out of the control and they had been since he had killed Sybil. Whatever she had done to him had left him with no switch. What Elena and the rest of their human friends knew about the vampire’s humanity switch was small, there wasn’t a simple off- one system; you could mute your emotions to a certain extent.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>When Damon had explained this to Elena in the future she had asked if that was what he was doing; she had been able to see right through him. She had asked him that night to turn his emotions back on fully and as he did, he had remembered a conversation he had with Emily Bennet shortly before she had died. It had concerned his humanity and whilst he had shaken it off at the time it had come rushing back as he felt the guilt of the century and a half’s worth of pain and destruction he had left on this earth.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Flashback</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>1864</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Mystic Falls, Quarry </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            Damon was standing in shock by what Emily had revealed to him; Katherine was alive and buried beneath the tomb. Emily had offered him a deal, protect her lineage until the night of the comet and she swore when she called on the Bennet family, they would keep their end of the bargain. As Damon turned and went to walk away from Emily Bennet, she had asked him to stop. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“There is something I want to discuss with you…you will probably not believe me, but I believe you deserve the truth” Emily said looking Damon in the eyes. The sound of the waterfall dumping water into the quarry below played softly around them. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What is it?” Damon replied a feeling of dread growing in his stomach.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Katherine never loved you Damon…she was only using you” Emily murmured causing a knife to shoot directly into his chest. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No…no she loved me I know she did, and I will make sure she is released” Damon replied angrily. Emily frowned at him before she continued. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“The pain your feeling now will grow…that anger you feel bubbling beneath the surface will consume you and your rage will be uncontrollable and regardless of what you say you are a <strong>good man </strong>Damon Salvatore,” Emily said softly to Damon causing him to turn around the and face the water. He would not listen to this, Katherine loved him it was all part of the witches plan to stop him from releasing Katherine.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“In your misguided attempts at love you will hurt others…strangers whom you do not care about but your brother and others will be causalities in your obsession,” Emily said to Damon looking him with pity. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t care, I will have Katherine back it will all be worth it,” Damon said causing Emily’s face to fill with even more pity if that was even possible. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“One dark day you will realise what you have done…one dark night you will count the victims of your rage and pain…the pain that you will have from that day…I hope you survive Damon” Emily murmured to him before she turned and walked away. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>End Flashback</em>
</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>As Damon had fallen to his knee’s in agony, the guilt had been crushing; his actions were unforgivable, and he could not remember how anything existed through the pain. Then he had felt a pair of arms encircled him and a feeling of peace and love washed over him. Elena had wrapped on arms around Damon and was kneeling with him on the floor. He knew he had loved Elena but the feelings he now felt coursing through him caused his breath to catch. Tears of happiness, pain, sorrow and lowliness had washed over Damon causing sobs to shake his frame. Elena had simply held him, telling him how she loved him and that she wasn’t going anywhere, he had passed out sometime in the early morning hours.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>When had woken the next day, he had been ashamed and mortified; he Damon Salvatore had sobbed like a child in the arms of the women he loved. She had seen him at his weakness; she has seen what he had never shown Stefan, Damon mourning the human that he was and the monster he had felt he had become. She had told him that he was being an idiot, as much as he tried to deny it, she had said the human he was, was still in there but she loved him even despite everything he had done.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“How far are we from Whitemore?” a gruff, sleep sounding voice broke Damon from his walk down memory lane.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“About two hours” Damon replied looking over briefly at Alaric, he looked briefly in the mirror at the sleeping beauty behind him who was sprawled out over the back seat.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“She was worried about you last night…you want to explain to me what happened?” Alaric asked, pinning Damon with a glare.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon sighed, after walking the forest till the early hours of the morning he had come to the decision that he couldn’t wait until nightfall. He had turned up at the Gilbert residence and shaken Alaric awake telling him to pack his things, Elena had turned up not five minutes after Damon arrived looking at him like she wasn’t done with their conversation Damon had cut her off and told her to get ready they were leaving for Whitemore College to rescue Enzo. She had been shocked, and Alaric had started to protest when Damon said she would be staying in the car (he had glared at her as he said this remembering the last time she had promised to stay in the car). It was too dangerous to leave her alone in Mystic Falls with Michael, Klaus and what other members of the original family were awake, she needed to come too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Elena seemed to understand that he was bringing her along to make sure she was safe and for once she seemed to go along with the plan. As they had left walked out the door she had grabbed his arm and told Alaric to go on she had needed a word with him. She gave him a sharp look and told him in no uncertain terms that they would be having a long discussion once everything had quieted down. Damon had swallowed and agreed to it, just to escape her piercing brown eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, what happened?” Alaric asked again, the anger he was feeling simmering beneath the surface.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I…can't find the switch” Damon replied causing Alaric to frown at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And?” Alaric probed, pushing Damon to continue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And I feel everything…I can’t mute it or shut it off…I’m feeling <em>everything</em>” Damon finished emphasising the last word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You feel guilty” Alaric stated and not questioned causing Damon to laugh. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Funny right, the self-centred psychopath with no redeeming qualities gets what he deserves,” Damon said, echoing words he had long heard ago from Elena and regardless of how much she had said in the future she hadn’t meant it…they had long stuck with him, often rearing their ugly head when doubts about his relationships with Elena surfaced.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon…look even with the setback of the…incident the other week…that’s not who you are anymore,” Alaric said to Damon causing him to laugh sarcastically back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Its who I was and nothing can change that” Damon replied before he focused on the road “We are an hour out…I don’t want to talk about this” Damon made it clear that the conversation was over, what he hadn’t realised during his small discussion was that Elena had woken up at the same time as Alaric and had heard every word spoken between the two, a tear fell from her eye as she realised the hurt she had put the man who had done nothing but loves her through.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Whitemore College, Medical Building- West Virginia</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mid-Morning </strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Damon stood outside the entrance to the medical building, Alaric stood beside him silently waiting for him to make the first move. Damon hadn’t said a word that hadn’t been related to the rescue plan which was quite simple. Alaric would go in first, take Dr Maxfield hostage and Damon would go in once Alaric had disabled the security. The entrance to the building was hidden on the side behind a security panel, the controls of which could be overridden from the office.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Ten minutes…go,” Damon said walking off the side of the building where the entrance was as Alaric started towards the building.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Damon stood beside the door waiting for it to open when suddenly the heavy door buzzed and popped open. <em>Good work Ric </em>Damon thought as he navigated his way through the basement. There was a stench of dried blood and death in the air, with a sense of overpowering evil radiating from the building. Damon had done a lot of things, but what the Augustine society had put him through made him aware of what true evil was. He had begged and pleaded with them at first to let him go, then when he realised there was no hope of rescue he had begged for death, to just when they were cutting into his body to remove his heart and let all the pain end.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon shook himself out of his thoughts and proceeded down the hallway, a light flickering slowly overhead. When he came to the of the corridor it ended in a T- Junction, Damon remembered where both of the paths lead having been carted between the two for over 5 years.  There were doors at both ends of the corridor, the one to the left lead to the cells and right led to…the theatre as the doctors had called it. Closing his eyes, he stretched out his sense and became aware for four hear beats in the corridor down the left; one was the slow and steady thump of a vampire, the other free had the rapid beats of humans. Damon snarled in anger, his vampire visage coming to the surface as he sped down the corridor, taking in the conversation his anger grew with every step he took. He vaguely felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, but he was lost to the bloodlust and rage; the monster had come out to play and he wanted blood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re going to cut out your intestines today…we want to see how long it takes to heal and I know we have done this before, but it never pays to be careful” Damon heard a male speak followed by others laughter. Damon didn’t simply kick the door off of its hinges sending it flying into the room into one the humans causing a loud crack to echo in the room as her whole body was shattered by the door. As Damon took in the scene, the smell of fear became overpowering from the pair of humans who were left standing just outside the cell door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A figure lay on the ground in the cell, crawled into the farthest corner to get away from his attackers. Enzo shirt was stained in blood and was his face, it looked like they had already done one of their ‘experiments’ recently. The windows behind the human let soft light into the horror show that Damon had walked into. Damon lost himself in the blood lust as he charged the first human, ripping into his neck like a rapid animal and tearing part of his throat out. The man fell to the floor as Damon turned to the remaining human in the room, she had raised a gun and was about to fire at Damon. Before she blink Damon had sped to right in front of her, picking her up by the throat and viscously ripping her throat out. He carelessly threw her against the wall in the room, his mission now was the vervained bars that held his friend in prison. He vaguely became aware of a pair of footsteps coming down the corridor, but he barely heard this as he grabbed the cell door, the sound of his hands sizzling as they touch the bar sounded in the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the metal gave way Damon was barely aware that he was using strength far beyond the 175 years he was, the door came out of the concrete with a loud smash. Damon picked it up and moved it to the side the cell just in time to see a black shadow crash into him sending him sprawling into the wall. As Damon struggled with his attacker, he realised it was Enzo, his vampire's face had taken hold and he was violently attacking him with his fangs, trying to rip into his throat. In his captivity, with the recent pain and lack of blood, Enzo true animal instincts had taken over and all he smelt was the fresh blood and saw the pulsating flesh beneath Damon’s throat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Damon felt Enzo teeth pierce his flesh he cried out and tried to fend him off, but Enzo had dug in and was violently taking his blood. Suddenly he heard Enzo cry out and he felt the weight of him lift off as he saw Alaric stabbing Enzo with two full syringes full of vervain. Damon slowly slid down the wall, his eyes dropping closed from the blood gushing out of his neck but then he felt a pair of hands cover his wound, one then reached up to his cheek and gently patted it, getting his attention.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon, look at me please…Damon” Damon heard as he opened his eyes and found himself staring into her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon coughed up blood, realising now that he hadn’t fed since he had arrived in the past, couple that with the vervain that had travelled through his system from his ripping the throat out of one of the humans whose throat he had just ripped out, the bars coated in vervain and Enzo attack on him, Damon felt himself barely hanging onto to conscious, when with a jolt Damon realized that Elena was standing in a blood-soaked room, seeing the horrors of Damon’s past first hand. He stood leaning heavily against the wall, fighting to stay awake, using the wall for leverage he weakly pushed her hands off trying to move past but he stumbled suddenly losing his strength, but Elena was there and she caught him, surprising him with her strength. She wrapped one of his arms over her should and looped her own around his waist.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Told you to stay in the car” Damon murmured weakly, trying and failing miserably to project strength he didn’t feel.</p>
<p>“</p>
<p>I was…but then I felt pain and rage…so much rage I just knew you…needed me” Elena murmured helping Damon move towards the door. Alaric had secured Enzo with several chains and had slipped Stefan’s daylight ring onto his finger. With Stefan currently in the basement, he didn’t think it would be a problem if he borrowed it for this rescue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“When was the last time you fed?” Elena asked gently, leading him through the destroyed doorway and out into the corridor, Alaric took up the rear with Enzo slung over his shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Two…three days ago I think” Damon replied, starting to feel himself start to drift as his legs started to feel oddly like lead bars. As Elena opened the back door, he found her SUV parked less than two metres away, it looks like Elena had mounted the curve and driven straight across the lawn to get to the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You need blood” Elena murmured leaning him against the door and opening it before she helped him into the car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She quickly ran around the other side before Damon had time to think and she got into the seat slowly pulling Damon to her, resting his head against her chest. He felt her gently start to run her hands through his hair, Damon realized he was still bleeding, staining her clothes with his blood. He tried to move away, but her arms were like steel bands around him refusing to let him go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shhh…just rest please” Elena murmured to him, her voice breaking “Please just let me take care of you for once in your undead life.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When she said this what little fight went out of him and he settled against her. Damon felt the monster start to come out when he heard her gentle heartbeat pumping blood throughout her body, Damon squashed this down refusing to let the beast out. He focused on Elena’s scent and the feel from her warmth slowly lulled him to sleep, and as he felt Alaric start the car after placing Enzo in the trunk, he lost himself to unconsciousness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Evening</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>As Damon became aware of his surroundings, he realised that he had somehow made it to his bed in the boarding and that someone had undressed. Suddenly Damon became aware of a heartbeat coming from beside him, he opened his eyes seeing Elena’s soft features come into focus. Her eyes were closed, she was still dressed in her jeans and shirt, her shoes Damon realised lay beside the doorway, she was laying down on her side with Damon realised as he felt the warmth around his hand, she was holding one of them to her cheek. As Damon slowly tried to take his hand away her features squinted in protest before she blinked her eyes open, as she sleepily rubbed her eyes, she realised he was awake. Before he had time to realise what was happening, she had thrown herself across the bed into his chest, tears silently started down her face as she held on to him for dear life.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon slowly shifted himself until his upper body was leaning on the headboard, he properly took her into his arms, any thought of staying away from her fleeing his mind. He had always been selfish, no matter how many times he screwed up and hurt her she always forgave, Damon realised he would not be able to keep her away, he had told many times in the future (or again was it the past) that he was the selfish brother and at the moment all he wanted to do was to hold the woman he loved in his arms. After several minutes, Elena had calmed down from her position tucked against Damon with her face tucked into the crook of his neck.</p>
<p>            “</p>
<p>You need blood” Elena murmured again making Damon realise he hadn’t fully healed from the events of the day.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“There’s blood bag downstairs” Damon murmured but Elena shook her head in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Their gone, I think Stefan drank them all” Elena murmured causing Damon to groan in frustration; at present, he didn’t think he had the strength to go hunting.          </p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Elena backed away from his side before suddenly she straddled his lap as she brought down the corner of her top, Damon could feel her rapid heartbeat as she gently took his face in her hands.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You need to feed…I haven’t had vervain recently” Elena informed him but Damon was already shaking his head. He couldn’t let her do this, not without telling her the full consequences of what could happen. Damon had come up with a semi-plausible explanation for why Elena had been feeling his emotions; as he took a deep breath, he realised this was going to one of the most revealing conversations he had with Elena.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Elena…there’s something you need to know…I’m sure your aware that you’ve been feeling my emotions” Damon murmured, laying his hands on her hands and gently rubbing them unconsciously causing her to sigh and place her head against his forehead.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I have…the pain and guilt I feel tearing you apart over the last two days...but Damon there’s something else I feel” Elena murmured, grabbing his face and gently making him look her in the eye.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I feel how much you love me” she murmured gently stroking his cheek with her hand. Damon sighed and looked down, his resolve wavering even more.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I don’t know how…it might have been when I forced my blood on you but somehow I…started a blood bond with you” Damon murmured causing a confused look to come over her face.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Blood bond?” Elena murmured, her face scrunching up with confusion, Damon sighed slowly preparing himself for the rejection that would inevitably come from this conversation.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“A blood bond happens when vampires…are in love and they decide to share blood…it is considered sacred among vampires,” Damon said not looking Elena in the eye, he couldn’t handle her rejection.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“So how can one exist between us?” Elena murmured, softly stroking the side of Damon’s face, she had heard him say before on his death bed and she had been feeling it for the last few days, but she <em>needed </em>to hear Damon say the words.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Because I am in love with you…when I gave you my blood before the ritual it must have activated it” Damon said hoping she bought this lie, she looked at him for a moment before she asked a follow-up question.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Why did it only start the other day?” Elena asked causing Damon to shift uncomfortably.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Because…well you must have become…receptive to the bond” Damon murmured, he was afraid that if he said the words she would go running from the room.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Receptive?” Elena asked softly as if she was afraid of the answer herself.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“For a bond to exist there have to be feelings of love on both sides…it can only start to form if both individuals are in love with each other” Damon said quietly before he looked at her face as the weight of his word sunk in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She jumped from him as if he had burnt her, and he slowly dropped his chin to his chest waiting silently for the door open and for her to walk out. He was only half correct he heard her twist the doorknob and she was about to open it before suddenly she squared her shoulders and turned to face Damon. When he realized Elena hadn’t gone screaming from the room his heart felt like it had it started to race, even though he knew that was technically impossible.  The look in her face was half a look of fear and half of look of determination as if she had come to a decision.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I realised something on my birthday…when you gave me my necklace back” Elena spoke, slowly starting to move towards Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was a second from bolting from the house and hiding away from everything…I didn’t want to deal with the stares and my friends attempts to make me feel better because Stefan was gone” Elena continue as she finally made it back to the bed and sat on the corner, she was twisting her hands nervously in her hands, a habit he noticed she did whenever she was nervous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then you came in and you gave me my necklace… and it was the most selfless you have ever been with me…that necklace was a symbol of my relationship with Stefan and you returned it…knowing what it meant for us…and I realised something about you…about us” Elena spoke, now she could barely look Damon in the eye, now it was his turn to reach over and take her hand in his, softly stroking the back with his thumb.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you Damon…and I don’t know what that means…I have only just realised it and then Stefan came back…and Stefan, he attacked me…now this bond and everything that has happened with the Augustine Society, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed, I don’t know what to do Damon…I don’t want to lose Stefan…but I can’t lose you” Elena spoke brokenly causing Damon to gather her in his arms and start to softly reassure her. Damon softly rubbed up and down her back as she buried her face in his neck and he could hear her breathing in his scent, it seemed to help calm her and the soft warm feeling in his chest grew.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“No matter what happens Elena…no matter who you choose, I won’t break my promise…I will never leave you…not until to tell to leave,” Damon said causing Elena to laugh weakly at his lame attempt at a joke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No words were spoken after that, they silently agreed that it would be a bad idea for Damon to feed on her, not until she was 100% sure it was what she wanted. As Damon slowly got dressed, he took in Elena’s form as she slept, closing his eyes he heard her softly breathing and it brought a sense of calm to him. As Damon opened the door once he was fully clothed, he took one last look at his sleeping angel before he turned and started down the stairs. Enzo was still out, and he would be for hours, but Stefan was absently silent. Damon slowly walked down to the cellar and took in the first cell. Stefan was out by the looks of it, he had thrashed against the chains to exhaustion, Damon slowly moved onto the next room, seeing Enzo’s form passed out on the mattress, the last of the blood bags hooked up to him via IV to give him the healing blood he desperately needed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon walked back up the stairs and was walking to his car when he felt his phone chirp that he had received a message. It was short but to the point; <em>Richmond, Two Days Noon, the Sunken Monkey Bar. </em>Damon swallowed, whilst he had been through hell the last couple of days, it was nothing that was compared to the coming storm. He started the car and as he drove towards Mystic Falls General to get his needed blood, he hoped this plan was not about to blow up in his face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did everyone think, did the blood bond confuse anyone? I'm sorry if it did, but I wanted to add it to the story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Conversations Between Friends and Enemies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone sorry for not updating in several days, I recently started full-time work and I haven't had the time to add new chapters. Anyways, here is the latest I will try to get one more up before Tuesday if I can.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Damon stood outside the cell door leading to Enzo and sighed again, he had returned to the boarding house in the early hours of the morning to find Elena gone. He had expected that, after the revelations that had come out from last night, she was probably in 100% Elena denial mode. Damon didn’t expect to see her again for several days, maybe even weeks unless they would be forced to; Damon could predict what she was going to do, after all, he knew her better than anyone. This was fine with Damon or so he told himself as he observed Enzo once again through the door, he would be waking up soon and Damon would be forced to confront his past again. <em>Damn it </em>Damon thought, having to repeat certain events was not his idea of fun…but this was a category all on its own. Enzo and Damon had resolved their issues in the future…but it had taken time and Damon didn’t have that now, his meeting was tomorrow, and he needed Enzo’s help. A groan from the cell broke him out of his thoughts, Damon looked in through the bars and saw Enzo had begun to stir.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon unlocked the door to Enzo’s cell, Damon had freed him and there would be no locked doors, Enzo would be free to leave at any time. As Damon stepped into the cell Enzo’s, the occupant shot up off the bed and slammed Damon into the wall with enough force to cause dust to fall from the ceiling.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You…you son of a bitch” Enzo growled into Damon’s face, his demonic face rippling in Damon’s.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Enzo I’m sorry” Damon replied lowering his head unable to look his friend in the face.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You’re sorry…you’re sorry, sixty years Damon I was in that hell for SIXTY YEARS,” Enzo said, finishing by screaming in Damon’s face. Before Damon knew what was happening Enzo’s hand had shot out and into his chest, wrapping around his heart. Blood spewed from Damon’s mouth, there was no finesse to Enzo technique he was brutal in his treatment of Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Hey HEY you son of a bitch let my brother go” Damon heard Stefan’s voice from the next cell causing Damon to chuckle with quickly turned into another coughing fit as more blood spewed from his mouth. Enzo looked to the right wall, then turned back to face Damon anger still radiating from his face.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Your brother left me to die after I helped him to escape, didn’t he tell you about it…he shut his emotions off to do it,” Enzo said causing silence to come from Stefan’s cell. Damon lowered his head further, seeing nothing but Enzo hand in his chest, his life hanging in the balance and he realised how little he cared if Enzo finished the job.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Your right, I left you to die…to burn alive…I turned it off to do it and after that I did things…you might have left that cell, but those people have always been with me” Damon replied weakly raising his head to look at Enzo.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“If you want to kill me go right ahead…I deserve it…I deserve to die but I’m begging you hear me out for five minutes, if you still want to kill me, I won’t stop you” Damon replied looking Enzo in the eye. There were several silent moments where Damon and Enzo simply stared at each other, Stefan’s screams at Enzo to stop ignored by the two men before finally, Enzo removed his hand from Damon’s chest causing a grunt to come from his mouth and Stefan to scream from his cell next to him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Five minutes and if I’m not satisfied, I will be ripping your heart out,” Enzo said as Damon slid down the wall and collapsed to the floor. <em>Damn it </em>Damon thought, he hadn’t fed enough to recover his energy, but he had only time to swiftly break into Mystic Falls hospital and get the blood he needed. He hadn’t been able to trust himself not to lose control and let the vampire within revel from the pain of the new memories he received take over.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Go upstairs, second door after you have reached the lounge room after the stair there are clothes and blood, I’ll meet you there,” Damon said weakly.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Enzo looked at his confused before Damon gestured down for Enzo, who realised he was still in the clothes he had been rescued in…which were still soaked in his blood. Enzo down at Damon for a moment before he walked out the cell, his footsteps trailing off as he went upstairs. Damon stood using the wall to lean on heavily before he pushed himself off and walked out, but as he passed Stefan’s cell his voice from within called out and stopped him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon, are you ok?” Stefan’s voice said, concern lacing it. Damon smirked, realising that although Klaus had compelled Stefan to turn his emotions off, he never compelled them to stay off.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I’m fine Stefan,” Damon said, leaning his hand on the bars of the cell and looking down at his chest. He was healing but it was slow, much slower than it should have been since the changes his soul and body had gone through over the past several days.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon, let me out of here, you can’t let him kill you…let me help you,” Stefan said straining against the shackles that held him in place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon laughed mirthlessly in response causing Stefan to look at his brother, no longer to able to hide the shock on his face. He hadn’t heard Damon laugh like that since 1864 when Stefan would patch his brother up after his father would unleash his rage on his oldest.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I deserve it Stefan…I am a monster and Enzo decides to kill me well then I guess that is how I end,” Damon said pushing off the bars of the cell and turning to walk up the stairs.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon no matter you think you have done we can fix it…you don’t have to do this” Stefan screamed from inside his cell causing Damon to stop and turn his head back slightly.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yes, I do Stefan…yes, I do” he replied, continuing up the stairs and into the lounge room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walked over to the drink cabinet and reached into the back looking for the bottle, pushing several aside taking out the one he had opened when he had been dying from the werewolf venom the first time. <em>That had only been three months ago </em>Damon thought, thinking like it had happened years ago rather than months. Damon took out took glasses and poured two glasses, he took a seat in front of the fire and sipped his drink. The sounds of footsteps caused Damon to turn around and he saw Enzo walking into the room dressed in more modern clothes that weren’t stained with his blood. Enzo walked by the table that his glass was one, taking the drink and walking around to stand in front of the fire, he looked at it lost in his memories of the last sixty years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You have five minutes, so talk,” Enzo said turning and facing Damon as he spoke, Damon sighed and stood up pouring himself another drink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I hate myself every day for what I did…that I left you, it was bad enough when I thought I left my best friend to die it was the worst when I escaped and had to live with it,” Damon said looking up at the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“After I escaped, I was angry…angry at Augustine, at my brother for not looking for me…I hated the whole world and that’s all I felt,” Damon said looking down at his drink.         </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I killed people, I fed and took what I wanted, I hurt my brother and others…people I now care about and there is nothing that can take that back” Damon continued looking up at the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There is nothing that can undo the pain and suffering I left behind me…but then I met someone,” Damon said to the other man causing Enzo to raise is eyebrows.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was…am a monster but this girl for some reason saw past that, she saw the humanity I buried and I tried to fight it but she brought it out of me,” Damon said walking over to the other man and standing in front of him, this was it the moment of truth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This girl, she has fire and light but she’s in danger…there are things out there that are coming after her and I have to protect her…I’m sorry for what I did but she hasn’t done anything to you…I’m begging you help me protect me” Damon begged of the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stefan who was listening downstairs was probably in shock; he wouldn’t have heard his brother speak like this since before he turned. Yes, Damon had often shown his affection for Elena through his actions, but he never spoke openly of how he felt for her and now here he was not begging for his own life but rather he was begging for hers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Help me protect her and I will give you whatever you want” Damon murmured walking straight up to Enzo, making no defensive moves at all to the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But you have the right to know…she is the daughter of Grayson Gilbert” Damon spoke, knowing if he hadn’t come clean about this the other man wouldn’t care that Damon had lied, he would gain his vengeance by attacking her and Jeremy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A look of rage took over Enzo and he flashed towards the door before Damon flashed as well throwing his across the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stop, Grayson Gilbert is dead, he died over a year ago and his daughter did nothing to you” Damon snarled at the other man…he might have been willing to risk his own life but he would kill anyone who threatened Elena…Enzo included.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do you forget what we swore to each other in that place?” Enzo snarled at Damon as he picked himself off the floor causing Damon to freeze, memories of blood and screams flashing before his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I remember and I kept my word…I killed them always left once survivor, I have done that for the last fifty years and you know what it has brought me?” Damon questioned the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nothing…nothing but pain and suffering because even though I got out of that place every time I killed an innocent person, they won…I was proving that I was nothing but a monster that they were right,” Damon said causing the other man to frown in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can be better than me…be better than the man who couldn’t let go of the past,” Damon said to the other man as the last of his anger leave his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re sure Grayson is dead?” Enzo asked walking over to the bottle of bourbon that still sat on the table beside the couch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sure, car accident he’s dead” Damon replied to the other man relaxing slightly as he realised, he was still listening to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And his daughter isn’t like her father?” Enzo asked causing Damon to laugh in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Trust me, the girl is the most kind-hearted person you will ever meet…after all she did help rescue you,” Damon said taking a seat as the other man stood there shocked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She helped get me out of there?” Enzo said taking a seat on the couch to the left of Damon, who smirked in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah she did because I asked her but knowing her, she couldn’t have left you to be tortured there,” Damon said leaning across to Enzo to refill his drink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And you love her?” Enzo asked Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“More than anything” Damon replied without hesitation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Enzo looked at Damon as he took another drink, really taking in the man he sat across from him for the first time since he had gotten out of that hellhole. He looked whiter than he should as a vampire as if he hadn’t fed properly in several days, but it was his eyes that caused Enzo to stop. They had spent five years in that hell hole together and that had created a bond between the two; they had shared the pain and suffering they had to endure in that place. It was his eyes that had finally convinced him to help Damon…he had seen the look in his eyes as he turned off his humanity and left him there to die. If someone could pull Damon back from the abyss and make him care again, she must have been pretty special…and well it looked like things were about to get interesting around Mystic Falls.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll help you but if she turns out to be anything like her father, she’s dead” Enzo replied to the other. Damon leaned to the other man.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is your last warning…you come after her or her family and friends I will put you in the ground,” Damon said to the man before he continued “But she is nothing like her father I promise you that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Enzo nodded his head in understanding, both of Damon’s description of Elena and his warning that he would kill anything that threatened her. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I assume you have a plan?” Enzo asked of Damon who smirked in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re going on a road trip to Richmond then” Damon replied to the other man who continued up the stairs to pack his bag for the days ahead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Mystic Falls High School-Mystic Falls </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Afternoon</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Damon stood behind the tree line across from Mystic falls in the shadows of the foliage as teenagers spilled out the front doors of the high school. Damon saw Elena, she was dressed in jeans and a purple shirt with a leather jacket over the top. Damon spied Bonnie and Caroline striding beside her deep in conversation, it took every ounce of his will power not to go running across the road and take her into his farms, or even beg Caroline and Bonnie for forgiveness. He saw Matt and Jeremy walking beside Tyler as well a few metres behind the girls, seeing them like this hit home how young they were.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As he stood in the darkness taking in the humans, vampire, hybrid and witch he realised that it was fitting that he stood in the darkness of the trees while they walked in the light. He would protect every single one of them, he had no illusions of how this story would end. One of the many enemies that he had already face would take him out eventually. He had left instructions in case of that eventuality with several of his lawyers spread across the country, several letters sent as emails would be delivered to the group in the event of his death.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>As the group climbed into their respective cars he waited until they pulled out, Damon waited until they were well down the road and out of sight before he broke out of the trees and strode across the road and up in through the high school doors, he continued down the halls his objective was Alaric’s classroom. As he came to the door he looked in and spied the man he had come to consider as a second brother. He was grading some homework students had handed in and Damon realised he was in his true element. Damon banged on the door causing Alaric to jump in the air, chuckling Damon laughed as he opened the door and walked inside as the other man send a scowl in his direction.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Bad enough you break my neck but now you're trying to give me a heart attack, seriously Salvatore,” Alaric said to the other man, a slight grin on his face taking the bite out of his words.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Thanks for yesterday Ric…it meant a lot,” Damon said dragging one of the students chairs across the room and sitting across from the teacher.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Happy to help Damon…what’s up, is Klaus back?” Alaric questioned reaching into his desk and pulling out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He poured a drink and pushed in across to the Damon who picked it up and took a sip.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“No, he’s not back…but I have to head out of town for a couple of days, Michael called he wants to meet” Damon lied to his friend. He had no idea where Michael was and given the current state of things, he hoped that he was chasing whatever trail Klaus had left.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You need back up?”  Ric replied causing Damon to shake his head.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Need you to stay here, look after the kids till I get back I’m taking Enzo,” Damon said causing Alaric to look at him with concern.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“That a good idea…he did just attack you when you rescued him?” Damon questioned Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yeah, it’ll be good road trip bonding and all” Damon said throwing back the rest of his drink and standing up.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon…you ok?” Ric asked of his friend who froze as he walked to the door. He turned back to the other man, plastering a fake smile over his face hoping his friend bought it.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I’m good…I think it might be good things around here have been getting…tense,” Damon said as he tried to make a quick exit.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Did something happen with Elena?” Ric asked bluntly as Damon went to open to the door. He froze in place realizing his friend was not about to let him walk out the door without pushing the issue.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Nothing happened Ric” Damon said plastering another smile across his face.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You sure because she came back last night and when I asked if anything happened, she said something about you heading out to get blood and ran up to her room,” Ric said causing Damon to chuckle.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Don’t worry Ric, I’m taking a beat from Elena…with Stefan back its just a matter of time until the epic romance begins again right?” Damon said to the other man who simply laughed at him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Do you believe that?” Ric asked. Damon looked at him for a few moments before he turned back and opened the door.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“See you in a few days Ric” Damon murmured, ignoring the question as he walked out the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Sunken Monkey-Richmond, <em>West Virginia</em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next Day</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Midday </em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon and Enzo sat outside in the Camaro watching the street, it had been silent since they arrived, Enzo had asked who they were going to be meeting. Damon had told him that only he would be attending the meeting, Enzo would be waiting in the car. If Damon didn’t make it out in ten minutes he would leave and take the letter sitting in the glove compartment.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You sure you don’t want me to come inside,” Enzo asked from the passenger seat causing Damon to smile.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Almost sounds like you care Enzo” Damon questioned him, raising his eyebrows as he turned to face the other man.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Not really but if they kill you then I don’t get to so I hope you don’t get dead” Enzo replied.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Well guess we are about to find out” Damon smirked, opening the door and closing it behind him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon crossed the road heading straight for the door, the bar itself had a sign hanging over the door that had long since faded with age. The outside itself was not well kept, it looked like one of those places that had been built in the last century and had never been upgraded since its completion. As Damon pulled the door open, he was met with a smoky room, there were rickety tables throughout the room, to the right of where Damon had walked in was a bar with a grizzled old man who was pouring a drink before swiftly swallowing it himself. There were three other people in the bar, two men sitting as far from the door as possible. The woman was sitting at the bar, a cigarette dangling from her fingers as she stared down into the glass as if he held all the answers. Damon walked up the door and took a seat at the far end, on the opposite side to the woman. The bartender sighed before he walked down to Damon grumbling the whole way.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“What do you want?” the old man spat at Damon once he had reached him. Judging by what was on the wall behind the bar he doubted he had his favourite bourbon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Jack Daniels, two glasses and leave the bottle” Damon replied pulling out a hundred dollar note and putting it on the bar.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The old man turned and pulled a bottle from the shelves behind him and two glasses before plopping them down in front of Damon, grabbing the money and walking back down the bar to his drink. Damon poured himself a drink and checked his watch, he was late but that was to be expected. Damon sat at the bar for the next ten minutes, he was onto his fourth glass of bourbon when the door to the pub opened, the hair on the back on Damon’s neck stood up and Damon knew <em>he </em>had arrived. Damon swallowed the glass of bourbon before pouring one more in each of the glasses, pushing one to the free chair to Damon’s right. A shadow fell across before a heavily accented voice broke Damon out of his thoughts.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Brave of you to contact me,” the man said as he sat beside Damon, picking the glass up and throwing back the whole thing.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You know me Klaus…I like to live dangerously” Damon replied to the other man who smirked in response.</p>
<p>            “So, the only reason I haven’t ripped your heart out is that you mentioned the hunters of the five…so that buys you five minutes before I rip your heart out,” Klaus said smirking to the other man, the glint of violence shining through his eyes at the other man.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I want to make a deal” Damon replied causing Klaus to laugh in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“What could you possibly have to offer me and what do you want?” Klaus said causing Damon to take a deep breath.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I want you to leave Elena alone, you don’t set in Mystic Falls, you don’t even glance in her direction. You also remove the compulsion from Stefan and release him from the deal he made for my life” Damon said turning to look the other man in the eye. Klaus started to laugh heartily in response to Damon’s demands.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“What could you possibly give me that will equal that, I need Elena’s blood to make hybrids and well Stefan is just fun to be around when he is in full-on ripper mode,” Klaus said in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I give you the cure for vampirism and Katherine Pierce…you use it on her, and you have a human, you don’t need Elena anymore” Damon replied causing the other man to freeze in shock.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You're lying there is no cure” Klaus replied pouring himself a drink, he hadn’t left the bar yet so that told Damon he had the other man’s attention.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“There is and I have the map…got it from a Brotherhood of the Five” Damon replied causing the other man to look at Damon so fast he was surprised Klaus's neck didn’t snap.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“So, you weren’t lying on the phone yesterday…you do know about the Brotherhood” Klaus replied causing Damon to think back to the conversation the two-man had shared yesterday.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>It had been the only way Damon knew Klaus would agree to this meeting, as far as Klaus knew they had died off and he had long given up in finding one. Damon had dropped the name yesterday of the group who were able to find the cure and Klaus had agreed to this meeting. Damon knew he had looked for the cure after Katherine had turned herself into a vampire after he had found out about the group, but he had been unsuccessful. Now Damon was dangling it in front of him and he was intrigued.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yes, I do…so here is the deal, I give you the cure and Katherine and you let Stefan and Elena go…you let them live their life” Damon replied causing Klaus to look at him for a few moments.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I will give you my word that Elena Gilbert will live a life free of me, I will never darken her doorstep as long as she lives…but Damon you still need to sweeten the pot” Klaus replied, smirking at Damon in way that caused his undead heart to skip a beat.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“The deal isn’t worth both Stefan and Elena, so I want to offer a counter deal…you give Katherine as a human and you take your brother’s place as my wingman and we have a deal,” Klaus said causing Damon to freeze as he was pouring himself another bourbon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Thought you said that you didn’t want me as a wingman?” Damon questioned as he slowly sipped the bourbon. Klaus laughed in response reaching for the bottle and pouring himself another glass.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Yes, I did…but I must admit your tenacity and your ability to scheme has me intrigued and well your reputation precedes you. Of course, you never were a ripper, but you were a force to be reckoned with” Klaus said causing the other man to frown in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I need to get my brother back on animal blood or teach him moderation after what <em>you </em>did to him, I can’t just leave,” Damon said causing Klaus to fall silent for a moment before he replied.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“You give me Katherine as a human and I will give you to months to get Stefan under control. After that you leave town and join me…that is the best deal you are going to get. Take it or leave it” Klaus said standing up from the barstool and holding out his hand to Damon who frowned down at it before he threw back another shot of bourbon. He stood off the barstool and grabbed Klaus hand, shaking it in acceptance of the deal.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“We are going to have so much fun,” Klaus said to Damon causing a sliver of fear to pierce his heart. An old saying rose to the forefront of his mind…<em>when you make a deal with the devil you must remember they always come to collect. </em></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House- <em>Mystic Falls</em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Same Day- Early Evening</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Damon had been sitting in his car waiting for Klaus to turn up for the last fifteen minutes, Enzo had left Damon in Richmond saying he had to go hunting with a murderous glint in his eyes. Damon knew what he was going to do and honestly, he didn’t have it in him to stop the other man. It was simply another death that Damon would learn to live with, and Damon had enough of those to feel guilty about what was one more. Suddenly the sound of a car and headlights lighting up the front of the boarding house broke Damon out of his reverie. Looking into the rear-view mirror he saw Klaus driving his black Porsche, the sleek lines visible in the dying rays of the day. Damon opened the door and climbed out as Klaus did the same, they met just outside the entrance to the boarding house. Klaus stopped and smirked at him, knowing what the other man was thinking.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Still time to back out,” Klaus said to Damon causing him to wrench the door open and step through.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Let’s get this done” Damon growled in response causing Klaus to smile.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>The two men made their way through the house, coming to the basement door Damon unlocked it and stepped through leading the other man through the dank corridor coming to a stop outside of Stefan’s cell. He was currently sleeping unaware of who Damon had brought to stand beside him. Damon pulled the keys out, unlocking the door and shifting the large lock to the side, unlocking the door. The sounds of the door opening had awoken Stefan who was now looking at the two men who had stepped inside the cell.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon, what have you done?” Stefan asked his brother who was looking at him with a lock of resolve as if he had resigned himself to whatever fate he had chosen.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I did what I had to Stefan” Damon murmured who looked to Klaus who was standing beside him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Are you going to stand there or are going to undo the compulsion?” Damon growled at Klaus causing him to smile and walk up Stefan. He kneeled in front of him and grabbed his head which had been thrashing trying to resist what Klaus was about to do.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon don’t let him do this…I don’t want to feel it, I can’t” Stefan begged his brother who looked at him with sadness in his eyes.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“This isn’t you Stefan, I’ll be there with you. And so will Elena and Caroline as well as all the other people who care about you” Damon told his brother who was now being forced to look Klaus in the eye.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I release you from my previous compulsion…you have your freedom, and I want you to turn your emotions back on,” Klaus said to Stefan who had frozen as he had started speaking. For a moment there was no response before Stefan let a howl out like a wounded animal, the sound of which pierced Damon’s soul.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Oh god what I have done,” Stefan said quietly starting to sob, Klaus simply smirked in response and looked at Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Remember Damon two months and I want Katherine Pierce in a week or the deals of,” Klaus said to the Damon who nodded his head in agreement unable to look anywhere but his crying brother.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I can see myself out,” Klaus said smirking at the older Salvatore as he walked out of the cell and up the stairs.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>For the moment Stefan was drowning in guilt and Damon knew he needed back up, so he backed out of the cell, closing it behind him. He pulled his phone out and slowly walked up the stairs, a bottle of bourbon on his mind. As he walked into the lounge, his finger on the call button a voice broke through the silent house causing Damon to freeze in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I always told you, he is your brother and as hard as you deny it you care about him,” said the soft voice causing Damon to turn in the direction of where the speaker was sitting quite comfortable on his couch.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Lexi…” Damon sputtered out in shock at the woman’s sudden appearance in the boarding house.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did everyone think, thanks for reading and as always till next time.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Conversations with the Dead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone, here is latest chapter sorry it took so long but i recently got a full time job so writing has been hard and I am writing another story that is more personal to me. That said , I already have more ready to go of this story much more, I just have to edit them before I post them, anyways enough waiting here is the chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Previously on the Vampire Diaries: For the moment Stefan was drowning in guilt and Damon knew he needed back up, so he backed out of the cell, closing it behind him. He pulled his phone out and slowly walked up the stairs, a bottle of bourbon on his mind. As he walked into the lounge, his finger on the call button a voice broke through the silent house causing Damon to freeze in response. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I always told you, he is your brother and as hard as you deny it you care about him,” said the soft voice causing Damon to turn in the direction of where the speaker was sitting quite comfortable on his couch. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Lexi…” Damon sputtered out in shock at the woman’s sudden appearance in the boarding house.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Chapter Six: Conversations with the Dead</strong>
</p>
<p>            “How…how are you here?” Damon sputtered out in shock at the blonde vampire who was currently reclining in his favourite chair by the fire, a glass of bourbon mixed with blood in one hand. Lexi smirked at him taking a drink from the bottle before she got up and made her way to the drink cart.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I think we are going to need a drink” Lexi smirked again at Damon causing a stab of pain to run through his stomach.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>She poured herself a drink and a second for Damon before she walked over and placed it in his shaking hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you here to kill me?” Damon asked the blonde vampire as he raised his drink to his lips and took a deep swallow; he was becoming an alcoholic. Lexi smirked at him as she walked back over to the chair she had been sitting in, gesturing for Damon to take the one opposite her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, I know Damon, <em>I know,” </em>Lexi said to Damon emphasizing the last words making Damon freeze. He walked slowly over to her and took a seat opposite her in the chair she offered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How do you know?” Damon asked in shock, still not fully comprehending who he was having this conversation with.</p>
<p>“Word gets around pretty quickly on the other side…I just never thought I would see the day where Damon Salvatore cares about someone more than himself’ Lexi said as Damon fixed himself a drink from the bottle on the table between them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Here to tell me that I don’t deserve her” Damon murmured looking down at his drink.</p>
<p> “Or how about I killed you and hurt Stefan or what about when I stole his girl…what monstrosity are you going to throw in my face?” Damon questioned angrily, self-hatred dripping through his voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Neither…I’m here to have a chat and deliver a message” Lexi replied looking Damon over, searching for something Damon wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. Damon looked away from her for several moments before he turned back to face her, shame evident in his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sorry for killing you” Damon murmured looking down at his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why did you kill me?” Lexi asked in a straightforward manner making Damon pause and get lost in his thoughts for a few moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Two reasons, the first and easier to admit to is you reminded me of my humanity at a time where I was running from any semblance of it” Damon replied, looking away from Lexi and into the fire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon thought back to the moment, back in the ‘70s where he had left Lexi to die on the rooftop in New York City after making her believe he was in love with her. It had been a low point for Damon, he had been raging against the entire world and Lexi, unfortunately, was an unintended victim of Damon with no humanity. In the grand scheme of things, he hadn’t destroyed a family or killed anyone but what he had done to Lexi had stuck with him throughout the years. When Damon saw her in the house just before Stefan’s birthday, the feelings of humanity that at the time there were being slowly awakened by Elena had threatened to consume him with guilt. And in his darkest place, he had taken away his brother’s best friend because she was a reminder of everything he no longer was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What was the second reason?” Lexi asked breaking Damon out of his thoughts. He turned and looked at her for a few moments internally debating whether, to be honest, or not he decided to go with the truth, an errant thought entered his mind; <em>Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You took my brother away from me” Damon finally replied looking into Lexi’s shocked face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Lexi replied angrily to Damon who stood up and grabbed his glass off the table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You heard me…every time I tried to reconnect with my brother you were there to stop me…to tell me all I would do was drag him down with me,” Damon said turning on the spot and facing Lexi, a pained expression on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did it ever occur to you that I just needed my little brother?” Damon questioned Lexi, emotion gathering in his voice. Over the centuries Damon had tried to reconnect but Lexi had always been there telling him he wasn’t good enough for his brother or that he would drag his brother down with him. But Damon had seen otherwise, once Stefan had accepted Elena and Damon’s relationship in the future, they had put their animosity behind them and become brothers again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was protecting him,” Lexi said to Damon which caused him to scoff.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You were controlling him and look at what it got him, Klaus has made him his bitch and all he had to do was get Stefan to drop a couple of bodies and he’s off the rails again” Damon responded in anger, he got up and threw his glass into the fire. Lexi simply looked at him for a few moments before she sighed and pour a drank. She got up and walked over to Damon, holding the drink up as a peace offering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe your right…look believe it or not I didn’t come to see you argue with you, I just want to help” Lexi responded as Damon sighed and took the offered drink. He sighed and realised arguing with a dead person was probably a waste of time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You want to help, go downstairs talk to Stefan. I’m going to get back up; can you do that?” Damon asked as he started to make his way to the door before Lexi called out for him to stop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That deal you made with Klaus… it is not going to help Stefan, what do you think he is going to do when he finds out?” Lexi asked causing Damon to stop as he was opening the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I didn’t have a choice Lexi” Damon replied before he opened the door and stepped out of the house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Gilbert Residence, <em>Mystic Falls</em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Morning </em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon had been sitting in his car for the last ten minutes replaying the conversation he had with Lexi in his head, Damon knew Stefan wouldn’t react well to the deal, but he didn’t care. Just before he had been blasted back in time, he had told Stefan that he was the big brother and that he was sorry he hadn’t been better at it until now. But Damon would change that, he would be the big brother and protect his little brother because that was his job. He had wasted far too much time hating his brother over a woman who had torn them apart, but now he had to face the woman who brought them back together. Damon stepped out of his car, he had spotted both Bonnie and Caroline’s car in the driveway and it made him pause on the step up to Elena’s house as he was lost in memories of another time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Bonnie had become his best friend during the months they had been stuck in the prison world, and in that time they had become best friends. She had been like a little sister to him and their relationship had only grown after Elena and placed into her enchanted slumber. Bonnie had been there to drag him from the edge from times that he could count, without her he wouldn’t have made it as far as he had. But that was all different, Bonnie hadn’t heard Damon talk about her best friend for four months, hadn’t seen the regret in his eyes at the choices he had made. Shaking himself off he steadied himself and walked into the Gilbert house, pretending that he was a man that he was sure didn’t exist anymore.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            He found Alaric sitting at the Kitchen Island, a box of captain crunch and a bowl of cereal in front of him which caused Damon to snort.</p>
<p>            “Ric, you’re an educator of young minds and in the care of two and you eat captain crunch for breakfast,” Damon said breaking the silence of the house and causing Ric to choke on his cereal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Seriously again Damon, can’t you announce yourself or something?” Ric asked, sputtering slightly and coughing causing Damon to laugh. He simply walked over to the kitchen sink, reached into the shelf that housed Ric’s stash and brought out his bottle of bourbon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “Gotta keep you on your toes, Van Helsing,” Damon said as he grabbed a glass from the sink and poured himself a glass. Ric watched Damon the whole time, his eyebrow rising as he watched his vampire friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “How did you know that was there?” Ric asked Damon who froze as he was bringing the glass to his lips. <em>Crap </em>Damon thought, Ric had only just moved in here and if was right had only just placed the bottle there.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>`           “Lucky guess, look I have to have a chat with Charlies Angels upstairs so could you get them up and moving please,” Damon said as he finished off his first glass and was pouring himself a second.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Ok, how did your meeting go?” Ric asked as he stood up and placed his now empty bowl in the sink. Damon sighed as he finished pouring himself his second glass and looked down in amber liquid as he contemplated the best way to answer his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Better if I don’t have to explain myself twice…go get the girls from upstairs, please” Damon replied sitting down Ric’s now vacant stool and leaning down on the bench. Ric looked at his friend with new concern, ever since Damon had revealed what had happened with the Augustine Society he had been different, first off he had apologised for killing him, he had shown emotions towards people that didn’t have the name Elena Gilbert and now he looked like he weighted the world on his shoulders.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>As Ric went up to Elena’s room and shook her, Caroline and Bonnie awake he had decided he would keep a closer eye on his friend. He had been concerned during the months he had tracked Stefan in secret with Damon, he had seen first hand the guilt Damon buried every time they buried another body or burned another house down to keep hunters off his brother trail.</p>
<p>As he led the girls into the kitchen Alaric also tried to figure out what was going on with Damon and Elena, as he led her into the kitchen, she seemed to get stronger with each step and as soon as she saw Damon in the kitchen, he could see her whole face light up at the sight the raven-haired vampire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon” Elena murmured softly and before anyone knew what was happening, she had closed the distance between herself and Damon and wrapped him in her arms. Alaric didn’t know who was more shocked at this move; Damon, Caroline and Bonnie or Elena herself. Damon had tensed the moment he had felt her move into the kitchen and now he had her wrapped in his arms, the bond thrummed to life before he squashed it down. Now was not the time to get into that can of snakes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “If this is the treatment I get every time I leave for a couple of days I should take more trips” Damon replied, plastering on the sarcastic façade he had perfected over the years. As Damon predicted Elena jumped away from him and smacked him on the arm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Where the hell have you been, Stefan is locked up in your basement and you go on a trip?” Elena said angrily walking over to Bonnie and Caroline who were giving her supportive looks. When they realised he was looking at them both of them sent him looks of contempt; he had forgotten they had only tolerated his presence because of Elena and how he protected her. He made sure to have his emotions locked down tight, the last thing he needed was to accidentally broadcast how much it hurt to have them look at him in such a way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stefan’s back…his humanity is in the full-on and upright position, I left him with Lexi. By the way, it appears that the veil has fallen and ghosts are starting to appear because Lexi is currently sitting with Stefan” Damon murmured causing shocked looks to appear on the four human faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What do you mean the veil is down and how did you break Klaus compulsion?” Caroline asked as she and Bonnie took seats in the lounge room. Damon sighed and started to walk into the room to explain. A voice cut through the air like a knife causing Damon’s undead hurt to stop for a second time that day as a voice belonging to someone who had been dead for many years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Well to answer your first question, creatures that are on the other side can now be seen by humans at least for the next twenty-four hours. And the second answer is that he didn’t break Klaus compulsion, he had him remove it” said an accented woman's voice coming from the front door. Damon moved faster then he thought possible into the hallway and sight that greeted was a friend he hadn’t seen in years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Rose…what are you doing here?” Damon asked as she walked down the hallway towards him. The house had gone silent, Bonnie and Caroline unsure of what was happening or who exactly the newcomer was, Elena was looking at Damon with worry in her eyes and Ric eyes were simply bulging out of his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Making sure you don’t do anything stupid” Rose replied walking up to Damon and pulling the surprised vampire into a hug. Damon returned it for a few moments, Rose had been the first person who believes he belonged with Elena, and her death had affected him more than he let on. Jules had been coming for him and Rose had gotten between him and her lethal teeth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Me, do something stupid no never” Damon replied releasing Rose from the hug and taking a step back. Damon had forgotten that they had an audience and the looks on their friend's faces ranged from confusion (Caroline and Bonnie) to…was that jealously coming from Elena and concern from Ric.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What do you mean you had Klaus remove the compulsion?” Ric asked breaking the friends out of his spell. Damon sighed and looked at Rose with frustration in his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Your back for all of five seconds and you’re already messing my plans up” Damon grumbled good-naturedly to his dead friend which caused her to shake her head in response. She rolled her eyes and walked down into the kitchen, picking up Damon’s glass and drinking the rest of his bourbon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What did you do Damon?” Ric asked again walking into the kitchen and looking at the other man. Bonnie Caroline and Elena had followed, each had looks of confusion and Elena’s had concern written all over their faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I made a deal with Klaus…look he is not going to come back to Mystic Falls and Stefan is free isn’t that all that matters?” Damon asked as he walked over to the sink again and looked out on the backyard.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What did Klaus want?” Elena asked from behind Damon, her face still had concern written all over it, her brown eyes were piercing blue ones. They were demanding the truth from their depths and Damon never could say no or hide from her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m giving Klaus what he wants…he wants a doppelganger so I will be giving him Katherine and…he wants a Salvatore so I agreed to leave with him once Stefan is under control” Damon murmured causing a shocked lock to cross Elena’s face before she starting to shake her head in denial.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “No Damon tell me you didn’t” Elena whispered to him, tears gathering behind her eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Ok…I think I’m going to visit Stefan” Caroline murmured before she backed out of the room and walked towards the front door. She didn’t understand why was going on…Damon had agreed to take Stefan’s place, the image she had of Damon didn’t fit with his recent actions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m going to go to head home…I will talk to you later Elena” Bonnie murmured, just as confused as Caroline. Why would Damon agree to leave with Klaus…he would be giving up his chance with Elena and it just didn’t make sense to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m going to call Jeremy and find out how far he is, hopefully, no ghosts have appeared before him” Ric murmured, as he walked out the room Rose stood from her stool at the kitchen bench and followed him out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’ll help, Elena it was good to see you, Damon I would say I’m sorry but I’m not” Rose said giving Damon a cheeky smile as she walked by him heading for the stairs to follow Ric. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena look I didn’t have a choice ok, I couldn’t let Stefan be used by Klaus and this was the only way” Damon murmured breaking the silence of the kitchen. Elena had walked over to the window that overlooked her backyard, she had her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if warding off the cold.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You can’t do this Damon” Elena murmured her voice breaking silently making Damon realise she was yet again fighting off tears. Damon walked around the kitchen until he was standing before, he placed a hand gently on her arm causing her to turn and face him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I don’t have a choice, I can’t let Stefan pay for my mistakes” Damon replied causing Elena to shudder before she threw herself at him for the second time that day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “This isn’t your fault, you were trying to save Caroline” Elena whispered into Damon’s chest causing him to frown.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I know but Klaus wants a Salvatore and I can’t let him take Stefan again…he’s my brother Elena, I can’t let him pay for my mistakes” Damon replied as he gently took her in his arms. This only caused Elena to shudder again and try to bury herself into Damon's chest. Her chestnut coloured tendrils of hair tickled his nose, the scent of jasmine and mint with a hint of honey made him breathe her in. It had been years since he had been able to hold Elena like this and if he was honest, he could lose himself in the moment. Elena finally loses control and buried her face into Damon’s neck as the emotions she had been bottling up for the last several days finally caught up with her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            The moment that Klaus and Stefan had arrived at the school during what was supposed to be the kick-off their senior year had been turned into a nightmare. Elena had been forced to run for her life from the man who loved her, then she had watched as he had turned it off unable to fight the compulsion for her. Then she had been fed off and used as a human blood bag for Klaus hybrid factory. The only times she had felt safe had been when she had been wrapped in Damon’s arms. And if she was honest with herself, she liked feeling Damon’s emotions, sure he often felt like he was suffering and in hell but every time he looked at her, she could be his overwhelming love and need to protect her were intoxicating. She had never seen that kind of love, not until Damon and as much as Elena wanted to say it was the blood bond it wasn’t. She had always had a connection to Damon, an understanding and she knew that his feelings had always been there, the depth of his love for her was overwhelming and intoxicating.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “You can’t leave with Klaus I won’t let you” Elena murmured into Damon’s chest breaking the silence of the kitchen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There’s no other way, it’s the only way to get Stefan away from Klaus” Damon replied tightening his hold the on young woman.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There has to be something else he wants, what about me I can give him blood,” Elena said breaking away from Damon and looking at him with excitement in her eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m on that…I’ll explain later but Klaus has no interest in you at the moment and if my plan works then he will leave you alone for good” Damon murmured looking down into her eyes. Elena closed her eyes and felt for Damon through the bond, she found it and slowly tried to push through the door Damon had brought up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena… what are you doing?” Damon groaned out, he could feel her scratching at the wall and given everything that had happened he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to keep her out and if he was being honest, he didn’t want to keep her out. Suddenly somehow the bond flared completely to life and Elena was pulled into Damon’s mind. She caught glimpse of herself seen through his eyes, his love and devotion but then other images started to flash before her eyes; times and places that hadn’t happened yet when suddenly it all stopped, and she was thrown back to the night her parents died.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Flashback, Night of Grayson and Miranda’s Death </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em> Damon is lying on the road when he hears a voice that sounds strikingly familiar, shocked he turns his head to the voice and glimpses a figure. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know, Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him. At least not tonight. I'll call you later” the Katherine like voice sounds, as she hangs up the phone Damon moves had blindingly fast speed to stand before the beauty. Damon arrives before her and looks at her like he has seen a ghost. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Katherine” Damon murmurs as he stands in shock looking what is quite possibly an exact copy of his sire. But as soon as this thought crossed his mind it disappeared when heard her heart skip a beat at the sight of him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Um... No. I... I'm Elena” the young olive-skinned beauty replied turning slightly behind her to see if he could be talking to her, but they were the only two on side of the empty road.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh. You... you just look... I'm sorry.” Damon paused, gathering his composure intrigued by this young woman, as he had looked into her eyes, he saw only openness, slight fear and dare he say it attraction to him…things he had rarely seen Katherine look at him with. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon” he continued taking a step closer to him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere” Elena replied looking at him with a raised eyebrow.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself” Damon said taking another step closer to her, he could smell a hint of honey and jasmine in the air. This was the perfect opportunity to feed and yet here he was having a conversation with a human that strongly resembled his sire. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here” Here she paused for a moment before she gestured to the phone in her hand before she continued. “I got into a fight with my boyfriend” </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“About what? May I ask?” Damon replied holding his hands out in mock surrender as if it was all her choice. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Life, the future. He's got it all mapped out” Elena said becoming more and more intrigued by this mystery man.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“And you don't want it?” Damon asked as if he could see straight through her, Elena didn’t understand why she was being so open with a man she had just met on the side of the road, but she felt comfortable and as if she was connected to him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don't know what I want” Elena murmured trying to get control of this conversation </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, that's not true. You want what everybody wants…” Damon murmured taking several small steps towards her</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What? Mysterious stranger who has all the answers?” Elena asked, grinning her lips and eyes flirtatiously with this handsome stranger who seemed to worldly compare to the people she’s met in Mystic Falls</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hmm. Well, let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things” Damon replied as he gave her an eye thing which made Elena smirk back at him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So, Damon... Tell me. What is it that I want?” Elena asked issuing the challenge to Damon, he stepped right up to her almost invading her space, but she found she wanted him to, whoever this man was he seemed to know her hearts desires </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger” Damon replied coming to stand less than a foot away, his words causing her to lose her voice for a minute, he was describing everything her relationship that her current one with Matt was not. Elena needed to know more about this man, she hoped this wouldn’t be the only time they met.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So, what do you want?” Elena asked Damon which caused him to stop and look shocked for a moment. No one had asked Damon that in years and this human had asked him what he wanted. Suddenly a car honks in the distance, Elena turns as she spots her parents suddenly arriving, she was silently cursing their arrival  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That's my parents” Elena murmurs turning back to face, suddenly Damon is in front of her and she is looking into his crystal blue eyes as if she was hypnotised by them. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I want you to get everything you're looking for. But right now, I want you to forget that this happened. I can't have people knowing I'm in town yet. Good night, Elena” Damon murmurs looking into her eyes for a moment before he disappears into the night before her parents can see him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>End Flashback</em>
</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>Elena is gasping for breath as Damon tumbles back from her grabbing his head, all Elena could think about was the sudden memory she had retrieved. How could she have forgotten that she had met Damon first and…how dare he not tell her, they were supposed to be friends and he had neglected to mention they had met first.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon…you…I…we met first, you compelled but I remembered. How did I remember?” Elena asked as Damon looked as if was facing the firing squad. Before Elena could stop him, Damon had vampire sped out the front door and disappeared into the early morning leaving an emotionally confused young woman who felt as if her whole world had bee turned upside down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We met first” Elena murmured in shock as she looked in the direction he had left. She smiled, though he wasn’t in the room she could still feel his presence and it gave her a sense of peace. Elena swore to herself that she and Damon would be having a nice and long conversation one she had managed to get him alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>           </p>
<p>
  <strong>Unknown Location, Witches Building <em>Mystic Falls </em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Afternoon</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon had run from Elena’s house into the woods, he was drained from the attempts at keeping Elena out of his head. And he had been successful to a point, but suddenly she had found the memory he had forced her to forget and using the bond had reversed his compulsion. It had felt like it had been…Elena from the future piercing his soul but that wasn’t possible, over ten years were separating them. Then how did Elena break straight through his defences…it shouldn’t have been possible. He would have to reinforce his mind to make sure she didn’t do that again…the problem was he always had a weakness when it came to Elena Gilbert. He had thrown of Sybil control through force of will and by drawing on his memories of Elena he had retaken control of his life. But the second Elena asked him anything he folded, this was a problem because if he caved every time, she looked at him with those brown eyes he would fold like a poker hand.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “You got our message then” Emily’s voice broke through the silence of the forest making Damon realise where he was; he was again standing outside abandoned witches house. He looked up and saw her standing before him in the same period clothes of 1864 that she had been in before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Don’t they have wardrobes on the other side?” Damon said in an attempt of snarkiness, the weakness in his voice betraying his words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Come, Damon, we have something to discuss,” Emily said walking up the stairs to the front door, Damon trailing behind. The door shut behind him as if locking him in place, he got the distinct feeling the witches were not happy with him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Were we not clear Damon?” Emily asked sharply to Damon as she came to stop in the middle of what was once the living room.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“No offence but you witches are about as clear as mud so excuse me if I’m doing the best I can” Damon replied angrily. He was in no mood for the judgement witches had shown him in the past especially the bennet witches. Suddenly his anger with Emily Bennet exploded and he was hurling words at the witch before he could stop himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We made a deal over a century and a half ago, I would protect the Bennet line and you would help me release Katherine from the tomb. Every time a Bennet witch was in danger I answered, I killed more vampires than I care to count over the centuries to protect your line and even a witch or two who got it into their head that going after the Bennet’s. And what did I get, heartache pain and judgement every time I stuck my neck on the line” Damon screamed at the dead witch. She simply looked at him for a moment before a cracking sound rang through the house and Damon collapsed on the spot. The witches hadn’t liked what he had to say and had broken his leg in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Your quest for a woman killed Sheila Bennet. Opening the tomb cost her life” Emily replied holding a hand at Damon who simply snarled in response.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “I have to live with that every day. Do you think I would have opened the tomb if I knew it would kill her?” Damon said attempting to stand up, Emily twisted her hand and broke his other hand in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yes, you would have. You wouldn’t have cared who you hurt in your efforts to get Katherine out of the tomb. Well no there are two people you wouldn’t have sacrificed; do you feel anything about Sheila’s death” Emily replied lowering her hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon shifted his bones back into place and stood drawing on what little strength he had as he faced the witch. She wanted to know how he felt well she was about to get an earful.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “My soul is dammed for things I did…I hurt others, many others. I can’t undo that, every day I think about them every single death that I caused. There will never be personal retribution for the things I have done. So, I am going to use the pathetic excuse of  my life to protect the people I care about using whatever means I have to do, do you understand me?” Damon replied angrily standing and walking to stand directly in front of Emily. Suddenly her look changed as if she had won a bet or had finally find something long buried.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Why is it you think you don’t deserve a second chance. There’s another way that is if you are brave enough to fight. Use this second chance, embrace it be the man your brother and Elena know is in there. Don’t shoulder this burden alone or you will fail” Emily replied, her words causing Damon to turn and face the wall getting lost in thought.</p>
<p>            “What should I do?” Damon asked turning back to face Emily, she smiled in response to his words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Let your friends in, tell them the truth of what has happened to you. That is the only way you will succeed” Emily murmured. Damon froze in shock, the idea of telling the truth to his little family scared him more than facing Cade and his armies of hell again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I can’t, that would destroy everything…Stefan is just got his humanity back, Klaus is after Elena, I can’t change everything by bringing them into my chaos” Damon replied. Emily simply shook her head at him sighing as she did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You don’t have to tell them every little detail, just explain generally. You will know what to say and what not to say. Damon, these people are your family trust them.” Emily urged Damon who stopped for a moment and looked at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Ok if I bring them into this, I want a couple of answers…I need to understand a few things,” Damon told Emily who smiled in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You may ask your questions…if I feel you don’t deserve an answer I will, of course, choose not to answer” Emily replied giving Damon a cryptic smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “How can the blood bond exist between Elena and me?” Damon asked he wasn’t sure why, but this question seemed to be the one he needed an answer to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “The bond exists because the bond is a by-product of the connection between you and Elena Gilbert” Emily replied smiling at Damon in a way that infuriated him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yes, but we haven’t formed the bond, Elena isn’t even a vampire blood bond can’t happen between a human and vampire” Damon replied in exasperation causing Emily to laugh in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “And who said a bond can’t exist between a human and a vampire?” Emily asked raising an eyebrow at him as Damon took in this information.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Is it forcing Elena to feel things that aren’t real?” Damon asked, Emily simply shook her head in response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “No, a blood bond can only be formed if there are feelings of love between the two and not only that but their souls must also be compatible” Emily replied slowly starting to circle Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Compatible?” Damon asked causing Emily to stop walking behind him. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Only two whose souls burn for one another can be blood bonded…a sire bond is what you would say a compatible test. If you had shared blood with Elena whilst she was sired to you, the sire bond would have broken, and the blood bond would have taken its place” Emily replied as she started to walk again coming to a stop in front of Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “The bond is important Damon, as is your relationships with the others of this town. Not telling does them a disservice” Emily replied causing Damon to sigh and pull out his phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “They won’t believe me” Damon murmured causing Emily to pause in thought as though she was having a conversation with the other witches.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Due to the fall of the veil between the other side I can help you explain what has happened, but time is short what is your decisions?” Emily asked again giving Damon another piercing look. In reply, Damon looked down at his phone for several moments before he made his decision.</p>
<p>            “Ric, can you get everyone together at the boarding house…there’s some new information I need tell everyone,” Damon said into the phone, Ric assured him that he would bring the others to the boarding house. As Damon hung up, he looked back up at Emily who had a satisfied smile on her face.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “Happy?” Damon asked causing Emily to laugh gently and nod her head. Damon turned and started to make his way out of the house with Emily by his side. As they walked down the stairs and came to a stop at the bottom Emily froze as did Damon when a smell drifted through the air. It smelled of ozone, death and evil and only one being to Damon’s knowledge gave of this distinct aroma. Suddenly Cade appeared in the tree lining that was directly opposite them causing Emily to turn to Damon in fear.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Damon you have to ru-” Emily started to say before her form seemed to explode as Cade waved his hand in her direction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Ahhh Damon it’s been a long time,” Cade said dangerously, walking out of the forest and coming to a stop several feet from Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very few beings made Damon afraid, but Cade was one of them especially with the revelation of what his end game was. Cade was responsible for hell and at first, when Damon and Enzo had been placed under Sybil's control he brought evil humans to her. Sybil would eat the body as the siren does, but Cade would feed off their souls. At least that’s what they thought he did; when in reality what he did to human souls was much worse. He would twist their souls into something inhuman and they would become their servants. His end goal had been to open a door to hell and unleash his army of demons on the world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon had helped him gather the require souls against his will, but he required a pure soul to sacrifice. Damon and Stefan had barely been able to stop Cade from unleashing the hellfire but then they had found out that Cade was not dead, rather he was in ancient tunnels beneath Mystic Falls High school and he was intending to use Elena’s soul to open the portal to hell and unleash death on this world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now…where were we?” Cade continued, he moved before Damon could fully comprehend what was happening. Cade had flashed in front of Damon grabbing him by his throat and throwing him into the tree’s, the force of his toss causing Damon to go crashing through several trees.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did everyone think of this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. I will try to get another chapter out before I head back to work.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Battles and Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As Promised here is the next chapter, hope you all are enjoying the story so far.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Previously on the Vampire Diaries:  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Damon and Stefan had barely been able to stop Cade from unleashing the hellfire but then they had found out that Cade was not dead, rather he was in ancient tunnels beneath Mystic Falls High school and he was intending to use Elena’s soul to open the portal to hell and unleash death on this world. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Now…where were we?” Cade continued, he moved before Damon could fully comprehend what was happening. Cade had flashed in front of Damon grabbing him by his throat and throwing him into the tree’s, the force of his toss causing Damon to go crashing through several trees. </em>
</p>
<p><strong>Woods Surrounding Witches House-</strong> <strong>Mystic Falls,</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>Mid-Morning, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon felt the trees breaking and splinters impaling themselves in his skin, Damon cried out as he finally hit the ground and rolled several times before he came to a stop lying still for a few moments. Damon sensed Cade moving closer and picked himself up off the ground as Cade strode casually through the woods, not a blemish on his suit. Damon moved into a fighting position…he might not be able to kill him, but he could potentially slow him down and escape. Running away had never been Damon’s style and he growled low in his throat as the anger started to build in him.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Ahhh Damon you had such potential, you were one of my most promising students” Cade spoke as he came to a stop several feet away from Damon. Damon spat blood that had gathered in his mouth onto Cade’s shoes which caused the other man to look down at his shoes.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“Go to hell Cade” Damon replied, moving as quickly as possible. He was able to grab Cade by the throat and throwing him into a tree. As the tree crashed to the ground he launched himself into the air landing with his knee impacting Cade’s chest. Damon felt the and heard the satisfying feeling of Cade’s ribs breaking beneath his knee before Cade could recover Damon started to unleash punch after punch into Cade’s face. As the anger build Damon vampire visage had crept to the surface and now showed on his face. Damon was lost the rage and the bloodlust, unleashing all the pain and guilt he had been suffering since he travelled back in time. With a growl and a final punch, Damon picked Cade up and threw him into the clearing they had just left. Cade came to a stop just before the steps, he didn’t move for a moment as Damon strode with purpose. As he walked, he pulled out a large knife that he had started to hide beneath his shirt in a hidden sheath shortly after Elena had been placed into her sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As Damon came to a stop in the clearing, he heard laughter coming from behind him causing him to stop and turn for a moment to look for the source. He could not find it and as he looked back at Cade, he realised he had been played. There was a small blood patch where Cade had come to a stop on the ground just before the house.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There it is…the demon comes out to play,” Cade said now from behind him causing Damon to turn on the spot. The injuries he had inflicted were already healing, some already done but Cade weirdly held himself, favouring his right side instead of his left.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You were always a perfect soldier…until that bitch got her claws into you. Showed you what love and humanity are” Cade spoke pausing for a moment as he spat out the last words with blood dribbling from his mouth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What has your humanity brought you? A mother who chose a monster over her son? Or how about said mother betraying you and giving your worst enemy a spell to take her away from her?” Cade questioned causing a stab of pain to go through him before he was able to squash it the evil look Cade gave him told him he had felt it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And now you are being shown what they think of you, a human who constantly tells you are not good enough for her? Or her friends who constantly put you down whilst putting your brother on a pedestal. Don’t be a fool Damon, you see how these people treat you, how much are you willing to wager that they wouldn’t even care you were gone?” Cade finished coming to stand before Damon who was now lost in thought as Cade felt a brief moment of satisfaction that Damon was about to join him. This quickly disappeared as Damon shoved him away and preparing for another fight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am not going to be your little bitch, I take orders from one person, and that is me. As for the humans here, they might not think I am worth saving but they are my family and I swear to whatever god created you, I will rip your spine out if you so much as look in their general direction. I don’t give a damn who you think you are, you’re just the latest in a long line of assholes who think they could kill me and you will end up like all the rest who came after me…dead with my hands around your throat” Damon growled fully giving in to the demon that always existed beneath the surface. There were people and a time to allow his humanity out and this was not one of those. As Damon saw the look of pure rage pass over Cade’s face, he felt a slight stab of fear shoot through him before he shoved it down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine then Damon…but I think you will find that you will die with my hands around your throat” Cade growled back at Damon, moving towards him with a murderous look on his face. Damon had never been one to back down and he started to stroll right towards Cade, blocking the first punch but missing the kick that struck him in the chest sending him flying back into a tree. Cade moved before Damon could recover, he had been picked by Cade who started to finally unleash the rage at the man who had foiled him too many times to count.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Gilbert Residence, Mystic Falls </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Same Time as Battle Between Damon and Cade-<em>2011</em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Elena was still standing where Damon had left her in shock, that memory had shifted her world onto its head. She and Damon had met first, one night before she had lost her parents. All she could think about was <em>why didn’t he tell me? </em>Elena asked herself. Another voice already knew the answer, Damon thought it wouldn’t have mattered to her. The words he spoke to her that night had sparked a fire within her that was quickly dowsed when her parents died. But when she was around Damon, she felt like life was unpredictable and that she was free to be anything or anyone, in the few moments she had given in to her feelings around Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “You ok?” a soft voice broke her out of her thoughts. Elena looked up to see her two best friends standing in the doorway. Bonnie had a look of concern on her face, but Caroline had a soft look of understanding.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “How long have you been here?” Elena murmured moving over to start making herself a cup of coffee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Long enough…Elena what’s going on?” Caroline asked causing Bonnie to look at her in confusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon and I…we met first” Elena murmured not looking up from her hands. Saying it aloud made it sink in fully. She turned to her friends, Bonnie had a look of shock on her face; but Caroline didn’t. <em>She must have heard Damon and I </em>Elena thought to herself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What…when…how?” Bonnie sputtered causing Elena to sit at the kitchen island with her coffee and start to shortly explain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “And then he compelled me to forget” Elena finished looking down at her half-empty cup of coffee before she took another sip. She looked up them both; both were shocked that Damon and I had been like that before we had even met. Suddenly Alaric walked back into the room on the phone. When Elena heard Damon’s name come up in the conversation she turned and started to listen more closely.</p>
<p>            “Yeah, sure I’ll get everything and meet you there don’t worry” Alaric murmured before he hung up the phone. He looked at it in confusion for a moment before turning his attention to the three young ladies in the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon wants to meet everyone at the boarding house. He says there’s something he needs to tell all of us” Alaric said to them causing Elena’s heart a skip a beat. Had Damon told them of the bond, it was something that was still new to her and when she had awoken the morning after its discovery she had fled. She hadn’t told Bonnie and Caroline about the bond or how she had confessed how she felt about Damon to him. Those moments with Damon were special and she wasn’t quite ready to share it yet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Did he say what it was about?” Elena asked hoping her voice was steady as she stood to place her coffee mug in the sink. Suddenly there was a bright flash from the living room causing Alaric to march over there shoving Elena behind him. There was nothing but silence for a  few moments before a soft voice spoke out, fear laced through it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Bonnie Bennet you're needed,” said a voice that came travelled through the room before the owner seemed to materialise out of nowhere. Elena had no idea who this woman was, but she seemed to be familiar to her. Her clothes seemed to be from the turn of the last century, that of a maid of the household. It was Bonnie that seemed to be the most affected by this woman’s appearance, she was looking at her with both shock and awe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Emily Bennet…what, how are you here and what do you mean I am needed?” Bonnie replied causing everyone in the room to look at the new arrival with new understanding.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There is not time every one get in the…car’s I believe you call them. We must leave now; Damon Salvatore’s life is in danger” Emily replied causing Elena to jump and grab the keys. She was already walking down the hallway, not caring she was still dressed in her clothes from the night before. She stopped at the doorway with Emily a short distance behind her, turning back to others who hadn’t yet moved.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What the hell are you waiting let’s go” Elena exclaimed to others causing them to move towards her. Elena turned back to Emily as they walked down the front doorsteps, suddenly knowing that Damon is in danger she had to know what it was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What’s going on?” Elena asked as they go into the car. Emily looked at her for a moment before she turned her attention back to the window as the car back out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Something that shouldn’t be” Emily murmured back to look back at Bonnie with new intent in her eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Alaric head towards the witches house, Bonnie there is a spell you need to learn and we don’t have a lot of time” Emily murmured as she began to go over a spell, Elena turned back out the window hoping that whatever was happening they would make it in time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Clearning Outside of Witches House, Mystic Falls</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong><em>2011</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Damon stood unsteadily on one leg, he was pretty sure the other was broken in two places. His jacket lay tattered in pieces through the clearing and his shirt was covered in his blood, it was tattered and barely covering his frame. He breathed heavily as he eyed his enemy who was standing eight feet away. The battle had sharply turned after Damon’s refusal to join him. Cade had not shown any mercy and it had taken all of Damon’s skills, knowledge and experience to get this far in the fight. Damon went take a step forward, his face a mess of blood and bruises before his leg gave out and he fell to the forest floor coughing up blood. One hand was braced on the ground whilst the other hung limply at his side, Damon slowly pushed himself off the ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “That is what had attracted me to you. Your determination, even now you can barely stand. Yet you are trying to calculate a way to kill me…but I assure you I might not be what I was in the future, but you cannot kill me” Cade whispered to Damon as he bent down to the ground. He picked up a branch from the ground, he slowly moved his hand over it form a perfect point. Cade eyed it for several seconds before he turned his attention to Damon, raising the newly made stake and it pointing it at his heart. Damon took a deep breath before he made a jarring motion with his damaged shoulder. A cry of pain came from his mouth for a moment before Damon flexed his arm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Well, I’m going to cut your head off…see if that works” Damon growled raising his arms to get into a fighting position. If he was going to die, he was going to make Cade work for it. Cade started to move towards him, feigning to the left when suddenly he disappeared in the other direction, Damon felt the stake enter his back, coming out his chest.</p>
<p>For a moment Damon thought that was it, that Cade had finally killed him, but he realised he had missed by an <em>inch. </em>Damon fell to his knees, barely able to keep himself upright when he felt the stake being viscously pulled out. Dark spots appeared in Damon’s vision and the world was spinning Damon put out a hand to steady himself when he felt a hand wrap itself around his throat and hoist him off the ground. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look’s like I will be keeping my head…but you Damon. If you won’t serve me then you have no further use” Cade murmured causing Damon to look down at him rage in his face.</p>
<p>“Fuck…you Cade” Damon was able to growl out before he spat blood into Cade’s face. He sputtered out a laugh as Cade closed his eyes. For a moment there was no response but then Damon saw him raise the stake and show it as he brought his face within inches of his own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Time to die” Cade murmured, Damon tried to fight but it had all been too much. He had given all he could to stop Cade and for the second time, it was not enough. He just hoped he had left enough behind for someone to finish what he had started. Suddenly Cade’s hand around his throat disappeared and Damon hit the ground with a thud. Damon looked up to see Cade grabbing his head in pain, he suddenly turned around and growled at the trees.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You…no you can’t” Cade screamed as Bonnie and Emily came out of the tree line, holding hands and chanting a spell in a tongue Damon didn’t recognise. He laughed from where he was on the ground, he was barely able to move. He could feel the powerful magic moving through the air when suddenly he felt soft hands grabbing at his face. They were urgent and quite insistent that rubbing his cheeks when he heard her voice break through the fog.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon…oh god Damon you have to look at me” Elena spoke softly but urgently to him. Cracking his eyes open he realised that he wasn’t hallucinating; Elena was here with Alaric standing guard over him looking at Cade's figure who was now engulfed in flames. Damon pulled himself upright, he felt rather than saw Elena moving behind him to prop him up as the flames grew higher and higher. Bonnie and Emily’s chant seemed to grow in a crescendo when Cade locked eyes with Damon through the flames rage flowing through him directed at no-one else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This isn’t over Damon Salvatore…we have unfinished business” Cade yelled at Damon before he screamed in pain and disappeared in a great burst of flame. Damon looked around the clearing for a few moments before he tried to stand up. He felt Elena grabbing at him but his attempts at movement finally pushed his body over the edge and he was engulfed in blackness…the last thing he heard was Elena crying his name out in desperation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Later Afternoon, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon felt himself coming to, his sense one by one started to come to him. The first thing he realised was that laying on a soft bed, the second was the extent of the injuries and the thirst that burned his throat. He had healed up until a point and he felt had gotten himself some blood…enough to heal himself somewhat but not enough given the extent of his injuries. Damon cracked his eyes open and the first thing he saw was Elena’s eye’s staring back at him. Damon moved, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he cried out when he felt his still shifting bones in his leg. Elena moved over to him placing a hand on his shoulder and the other on the side of his face. She lowered herself so they were eye to eye before she took him in her arms softly trying not to jostle him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            As soon as Damon placed his head into the crook of his neck two things happened at the same time; the first was that their bond flared to existence and the second was how hungry he was and how close to Elena’s throat he was, he could feel the vein beneath his forehead. He felt Elena stiffen in response before she pulled his head up, gently pulling his mouth to her neck. Damon struggled against her weakly, he could barely move and the smell of her skin surrounding him and her soft voice shushing him. He felt her softly run her hands through his hair and she brought her lips to his ear to whisper something meant only for them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon, your weak and you need to feed. You need fresh human blood and… it's ok I understand what this means. I almost lost you and I’m not letting you out of my sight until your healed” Elena whispered softly but urgently to him. Damon stopped struggling against her and leaned his head down so his lips softly kissed her neck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Are you sure?” Damon replied barely above a whisper, matching her tone. He was giving her one last out, but after a moment he felt her nod her head. Damon took a deep breathe, even in his weakened state his control for her blood was under complete control. He pulled back from her, she struggled for a moment before he caught her wrist and softly pulled her forward. She softly landed on the bed beside him and he moved to lean back on the headboard. As he moved, he realised how bad his injuries still were; in his state, he would barely be able to hunt let alone compel someone. As Elena took his hand, he pulled her so she was situated on his lap. He only now realised she was still wearing her clothes from that morning, as she came to a rest, he softly placed his hands on her bare thighs causing her to breathe in sharply. As he brought his head to her neck, he looked her in the eyes and spoke one last time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Relax…I’m not going to hurt you” Damon spoke to her causing a nervous smile to grace her face. As Damon softly brought his mouth to her neck she spoke to him before their worlds erupted in flames.</p>
<p>            “I know, I trust you” Elena murmured as Damon brought his mouth to her neck, his fangs elongated and softly breaking the skin of her neck causing a gasp to erupt from her. As her blood trickled down his throat, he felt the bond thrumming to life…not only on his end but hers as well. Elena brought her head down to Damon’s shoulder, his hand softly holding the nape of her neck, his hands were buried in her hair. Before he knew what she was doing she bit down with her blunt human teeth on his shoulder to break the skin causing Damon to moan softly as she started to <em>drink </em>from him. Images erupted behind his eyes; Elena and he had done this in the future, but she had never been human when they had done this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Images of his Damon’s life flashed in their minds as they linked together; she saw his love and desperation in saving his brother, he felt the brotherly feelings of love and protection he felt for Bonnie and to only a lesser extent Caroline when suddenly she appeared as he saw her. He saw her imperfections and loved her despite them. He would sacrifice anyone or anything for her even himself but unlike before she accepted it, she accepted his love and that was when he saw <em>himself </em>as she saw him.  He saw her fear of him, but not of what he was capable of but what <em>she </em>was capable of if she gave herself over. She loved him…more than she loved Stefan but she had been scared and confused…she had loved Stefan but until the moment a few nights ago she had denied what she felt. But now she was allowing her love to travel through the bond as she took deep sips, his wounds strangely were already healed. He raised his mouth from her neck and leaned his head against hers as she continued to drink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena, that’s enough” Damon murmured to her causing her to stop and pull herself back from his shoulder. She looked at him, his blood dripping softly from her lips giving them an even rosier look than usual. He felt the bond truly come to life and he felt a heat rush through him from her. Before he knew what was happening, she had brought her lips softly to his in a kiss. This was gentle, their lips gently moulding against each other, but the bond opened up again as they did, and they let their love for each other come free. Suddenly there was a knock at the door breaking them apart, Elena got off him slowly and stood by the side of the bed. She held out her hand to him, it seemed she wanted to continue some form of physical contact. Emily walked through the door, she smiled knowingly at them both.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Good your fully healed, Damon if you could please come downstairs there’s not much time” Emily murmured causing Damon to realise what he had been planning earlier. He sighed and slowly started to walk forward suddenly confused, he looked and the first thing he realised was that he was fully healed…that was unexpected. The second and this one caused him to look at Elena with a raised eyebrow, also doing the eye thing he knew drove her crazy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “How am I in different clothes?” Damon asked Elena causing her to laugh in response, the bond had slowly faded but he could still feel her presence, stronger than it had ever been in the future.  He patted his chest softly with a hand with an impish smile breaking out on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Don’t worry Alaric changed you, but for the record next time I might be staying for the show” she murmured to him before she started to walk out of the room, Damon swore there was an extra sway to her hips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Coming Damon?” she murmured as she reached Emily, the innuendo there causing Damon to laugh and Emily to shake her head at them both.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You call, I come you know I’m easy like that” Damon spoke words he had said in the past, then she had shoved him when he had gotten close now, she smiled at him grabbing his hand and dragging him out the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Come on, you have some explaining to do,” Elena said as she led him through the boarding house to the stairs and suddenly Damon could hear the rest of the house. He looked back at Emily with his eyebrow raised; she simply looked back at him with an eyebrow raised and another knowing smile on her face. As they came into the sitting room Damon realised it was packed to capacity; the first thing that Damon noticed was that Stefan was free causing a stab of fear and love to go through him. Jeremy sat next to Bonnie on one of the couches to the left, there was the distance between the two and Damon realised they had only broken up recently over the whole ghost dilemma. Alaric was standing beside his drink cart, a bourbon in his hand, Tyler and Caroline sat on the other couch holding hands. Everything was different and yet they were all the same.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon cleared his throat as Emily slowly came to a stop beside him, Damon thought Elena would release his hand once they had gained the attention. She surprised him again by grabbing his hand and pulling herself closer to him. Damon saw the hurt look cross Stefan’s face as he saw this and confused looks on the faces of the other. Damon sighed and smiled down at Elena as he released her and walked over to Alaric who was already pouring him a glass.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Good to see you up Damon looks like you had an interesting day” Alaric spoke passing his friend a glass who laughed in reply. Damon took a drink and without realising started to move back towards Elena who was now sitting on the two-seater couch. He sat down with his drank in one hand as Elena softly took his free hand in his.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, I guess your all wondering who that man was…or why I have been acting weird over the last couple of days,” Damon said causing Stefan to shoot him a look. Caroline saw this and got up, coming to stand behind Stefan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We have been talking before Elena went upstairs, Emily here refused to say anything until you woke up, but something is going on. You apologize to Ric for killing him, you make a deal with Klaus, don’t think I don’t remember that or what about that vampire who rescued you who almost ripped your hear out. I want to know what the hell is going on?” Stefan asked slowly becoming angrier as he spoke. He stood up but Caroline’s hand on his shoulder came down to his arm to hold him back and calm him down. This caused Damon to smile before he turned to Emily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So how do we do this? Do we tell them everything or just the cliff notes?” Damon asked her which caused her to laugh at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I told you before Damon you will know” Emily replied in cryptic way witches always did which caused Damon to sigh and look up at everyone in the room.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “A couple of days ago there was an incident…somehow my soul from the future was sent back and merged with my present one. I have memories from about now until about ten years give or take” Damon said taking a large gulp of his drink and getting up to make himself another one. Or another ten would be needed before this day was over. As Damon looked up he saw the shocked look on everyone’s faces.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon is telling the truth, I don’t have a lot of time, but Damon has been trying to protect you all. He has changed a great deal in the future but now he needs your help…even if he doesn’t want to admit it” Emily said causing everyone to look at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “That debatable” Damon replied causing her to raise her eyebrows at him in a challenge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Was Cade about to or about to not drive a stake through your heart. It took everyone working in the future to stop him and now you want to try to do it alone. Damon if you try to do this you will die” Emily replied causing Elena to stand up before anyone realised what was happening. She had rushed over to Damon coming to stand beside him, she looked over at Stefan for a moment before she looked back, Damon. Damon felt her jumble of emotions rocket through the bond as she softly took his hand and stood beside him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “He’s not doing this alone. I won’t let him” Elena said fiercely as Damon felt her love for him but not only that but her acceptance of him over the bond. Whatever had happened she seemed to have decided on her feelings about him much quicker than he expected.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Good, that man Cade isn’t done with Damon or all of you he will be back, and you need to be prepared,” Emily said before she stopped before she turned as if listening to something. She turned back to Damon, she looked at him and he realised he had been unconscious longer than he should have been.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “The veil is closing, remember it might not always seem like it but Damon cares about you all and Damon remember…you can’t do this alone” Emily spoke, as she finished, she looked at Damon before she vanished before their eyes. Everyone was shocked for a moment before they all looked back at Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Well, I guess I have a couple of things to say” Damon spoke to the others who all looked at him. Damon slowly began talking to everyone, he briefly gave them a history of who Cade was and what it meant that he was back. He told them that he had to be stopped at all costs and that there was a weapon capable of killing him. He agreed that let them help look for it, but suddenly Damon felt the exhaustion wash over him. He looked at everyone and suddenly he just wanted to rest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Look now…that’s all I can talk about. A lot has happened over the last couple of days and I need to rest. Come over tomorrow and we can talk more, but I need sleep please” Damon spoke to the room. They all seemed to want to talk to him at once, in reality, he just wanted to retire to his room with a bottle of bourbon and possibly a blood bag. Everyone got up to leave including Stefan which caused Damon to stand up to stop him before Caroline spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stefan’s going to crash at my house with Tyler and me, we can keep him…under control,” she said slowly looking at Stefan as she finished. He was not looking at Damon or anyone in the room, he simply kept his eyes glued to the floor. Damon nodded at his brother and as he passed Stefan stopped and looked at his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Thank you, Damon…for coming after me” Stefan spoke before he disappeared out the front door. Damon heard Jeremy and Bonnie murmuring goodnights shortly after and suddenly it was just Ric, Damon and Elena alone in the room. The silence in the room was awkward for a moment before Ric looked at Elena with a question in his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You need a lift home?” Alaric asked Elena who looked at him for a moment before she looked back at Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I am home,” she said to both of them looking at Damon as she spoke but then she turned to look at Alaric. A moment passed between the two, some sort of understanding before Ric nodded his head and looked at Damon.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>            “I’m glad your ok and Damon…well you know what I will leave that for the Grill tomorrow,” Ric said as he started to walk up out the door. He stopped and looked back for a moment at them before he turned back around and continue out the door. Damon went to speak before Elena shushed him and gently laid her hand on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It’s ok we can talk tomorrow you need to rest” she murmured to him as he raised his own hands and gently took her face in them. He nodded once as she started to lead him up to his room, she stopped as they walked in and turned to him, a slight blush staining her cheeks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Do you mind if I have a shower before bed?” she asked as he nodded. She gathered a couple of things from around the room as Damon walked over to his chest of drawers, opening them and looking for one of few pairs of sleep pants he owned. He heard one of the guest room showers turn on and he tried to block the image of Elena out of his head. Too many things had happened today and as he laid down, he felt how exhausted he was and all he wanted was to sleep. Damon laid down as he thought about what was going to happen next when suddenly he felt Elena walk into the room. He had turned out the lights and she was wearing the same shorts from before, but she was wearing one of his shirts.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Hope you don’t mind…you got blood all over mine,” she said with a nervous look, but Damon just smiled at her as she came over and laid down on the bed on her side facing him with her eyebrows raised. Damon shook his head as he turned the lights off and laid back down. She nestled softly into the crook between his neck and shoulder and sighed softly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Goodnight Damon” Elena murmured, Damon felt the bond thrum to life and her feelings of love and peace washed over him causing him to send the same back to her. Before either of them realised it, they had drifted off in each other’s arms, their dreams mingled together throughout the night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did everyone think? I will keep updating until I feel there is enough, I also want to work on my other stories, another is a Vampire Diaries AU and the other is a Roswell New Mexico, for those not familiar with the show I advise you to check out both Roswell New Mexico and the OG Roswell from the early 2000s, both are great shows that I highly recommend if you like the vampire diaries and the originals.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. New Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is another, might get another chapter out tonight we will see how i go, hope you all like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Eight: New Plans</p>
<p>            Damon slowly drifted back into consciousness, he became aware of the warm body lying next to him and felt the newly formed bond open naturally. He slowly cracked his eyes open and realised through the night that they had shifted positions. Elena had curled up on her side and Damon was wrapped around her. Elena’s hair tickled his nostrils softly and he softly inhaled her scent. She suddenly started to move slowly, Damon felt rather than saw Elena wake up. When she did Damon raised himself on his elbows and softly stroked up and down her arm causing Goosebumps to erupt on her skin, she slowly turned onto her back, her brown eyes meeting his. He smiled down at her and softly stroked her cheek when he heard a noise from downstairs that caused him to groan and bury his head in his shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            <em>“Salvatore get up we need to talk” </em>Damon heard Enzo call down from the sitting room where the group had gathered the night before. Elena softly stroked his scalp, burying her hands in his raven locks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What is it?” Elena asked as Damon rolled away from her and started looking for his shirt. It was lying at the foot of the bed, and as Damon reached for it, he heard a loud crash from downstairs followed by Caroline’s voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            <em>“Stefan, no what are you doing?” </em>she cried as Damon heard a loud bang from downstairs followed by growls and sounds of a fight. Damon threw his shirt on and was out the door before Elena realised where he had gone. He was in the sitting room before she had blinked and as he took in the scene before he moved between the two combatants. As Damon ripped Stefan away from Enzo who had been him pinned against the wall, he shoved his brother in Caroline’s direction and she promptly wrapped her arms around him from behind urging him to calm down. When he realised his brother was ok for the moment Damon turned back to Enzo and pushed him into the wall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Touch my brother again and I will rip your heart out, are we clear?” Damon said using more power than he had intended to. He shoved Enzo up against the wall and slowly he started to push him up the wall until he could hear the snapping off bone beneath his hand. Enzo futilely fought against it and he finally realised he had suddenly pushed Damon too far. Suddenly a soft hand was placed on his back and Elena walked up beside Damon as he held his friend against the wall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon let him go, it's ok, Stefan’s safe” Elena murmured to Damon raising her hand to his cheek causing him to close his eyes. Elena always had a way of doing this to him, he had once told her that she was his light and that he needed her light otherwise there was a whole bunch of darkness. Damon opened  his eyes and released Enzo who dropped to the ground and vampire sped to the other side of the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Look I was just coming back before your lunatic of a brother attacked me,” Enzo said causing Stefan who had just calmed down to start towards him. Caroline was able to urge him back before he could attack anyone further.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You tried to kill my brother” Stefan growled from behind Caroline which caused Elena to shoot Enzo a murderous look. Enzo just chuckled darkly at Stefan, looking at him from across the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What, now you’re worried about your brother, where the hell were you when he was getting dissected huh? Where were you when he was bleeding on the floor after having his eye’s cut out?”  Enzo said to Stefan in fury, Damon strode around Elena who’s a look of anger had turned to pain and he felt through her bond her worry and love for him. Damon slowly walked up to Enzo much calmer than before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I and my brother’s problems are our Enzo, if I want your opinion, I’ll ask you for it” Damon replied. Enzo turned his attention back to Damon with an astounded look on his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “He’s not a brother to you…brothers don’t give up” Enzo replied which caused a stab of pain to go through Damon as he thought about Stefan. Enzo gave him one last look before he turned around and started for the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Call me when you're ready to talk, we need to discuss the promise we made to each other” Enzo said giving Damon one last look before disappearing outside. This left Caroline, Elena, Stefan and Damon alone in the sitting room in awkward silence for a few moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, Damon you’re from the future?” Caroline asked trying to break the suffocating silence that had fallen over the room at Enzo’s words. Damon laughed as he made his way over to his faithful bourbon cart and poured himself a drink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah Blondie I am” Damon replied chuckling at the blonde, she was still the same Caroline he had come to love like a little sister…well technically from his point of view she <em>was </em>his sister-in-law and as this thought crossed his mind, his small chuckle to turn into a full blow laugh. There were shocked looks on Stefan and Caroline’s face but a soft smile graced Elena’s as she looked at Damon. She had heard him laugh like that only a few times and it was the laugh that wasn’t forced; it had been a rare thing to hear and it made her happy to hear it from him after the events of the last few days.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So…do you know any lotto numbers? Ahhh what about who wins next top model? Wait what about me and Tyler? Are we married in the future?” the blonde exploded at Damon when he started to laugh harder at her. He only started to laugh harder as her questions were fired out at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Look Caroline I’m not exactly sure about any lotto numbers, I never once want to hear the name of that show ever again and about Tyler…if it is meant to be its meant to be” Damon finished cryptically at the blonde who only seemed more frustrated by his apparent lack of answers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Is there anything useful you know?” Caroline asked in reply which caused the laughter to die and disappear from his face. In its place, a look had taken over and it sent a chill down Caroline’s spine; not of fear of Damon but rather for Damon which was surprising though to the blond vampire. She had never seen such a look of despair and pain in a person’s eyes that had suddenly appeared in place of his previous laughter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I know plenty Caroline, I know plenty” Damon replied drinking the rest of his glass before he poured himself another.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Look we have work to do, meet me at your house tonight with everyone ok Elena? Stefan and I…we need to talk” Damon murmured looking over at Elena as he spoke before he turned to look at Stefan. Stefan was looking at his brother and then his eyes shot to Elena for the briefest of moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah, I think we do” Stefan murmured hopping Elena hadn’t seen the glance he had sent her way. Caroline looked at Stefan for a few moments while Elena walked over to Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We need to talk you know. We never got the chance with everything that happened last night” Elena murmured to him as Damon looked down at her. He softly took her hand in his and let how he felt for her flow out through the bond. Her breath hitched and her cheeks tinged pink and that let him know she had felt it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Tonight, ok?” Damon murmured to Elena, Damon had chosen that moment to look up and he saw that his brother had his eyes glued to his and Elena’s hand. Elena looked to where Damon was looking and again to his surprise, she continued to grasp his hand, she even started to hold it tighter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Tonight, I will hold you to that” Elena murmured before she turned and started to walk towards to the door with Caroline quickly catching up. He had a feeling that Elena was about to be grilled about why she was still here at Damon’s and wearing his shirt, the scene caused a smile to cross his face as memories of the past…no the future floated to the front of his mind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Do I want to know what is causing that smile?” Stefan’s cold voice asked breaking Damon out of his haze. As Damon heard Elena’s car pull down the driveway followed quickly by Caroline’s, he realised that this was the first time he and his brother were alone together. As he looked at his brother for the first time so many memories came to him, he realised how their relationship was a wide gorge with both of them standing on either side. He needed to make things right…or at least the things that he could now. Their relationship was complex and had over a century and a half history. Damon didn’t know where to begin, so he decided that the biggest issue and one that needed to clear up…Katherine.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stefan…I’m sorry for choosing Katherine over you. I thought she loved me, and I blamed you for a century and a half for <em>taking her </em>away from me. But I made the choice to love her and…I made the wrong choice and I’m sorry” Damon said looking at his brother who was suddenly frozen in his spot. Stefan was looking at Damon as if he was seeing a ghost, it was a look that both made him uncomfortable and proud at the same time. Stefan was looking at him as his brother, not as his enemy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What is this something we covered in the future?” Stefan asked as Damon as usual walked straight over to his bourbon car and poured two drinks. He held one out for Stefan to take who after a moment walked over and accepted it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah, it is. But it needs to be said here and now as well” Damon spoke as Stefan took a drink. He investigated the glass for the moment before he looked up at Damon for as he did he turned and sat down on the couch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “And Elena…what about her?” Stefan asked causing a feeling of sadness well over him. In the future, he had pretended not to care or feel guilty about how he felt. But he had felt guilty, he hadn’t meant to fall in love with Elena, but he had and though he felt remorseful he had never apologized to anyone how he felt for her and he wasn’t about to start now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m not sorry that I’m in love with her…but I’m sorry that it hurts you, you’re my brother and I never wanted to hurt you” Damon murmured taking a seat beside his brother. The brothers stared into the fire for a moment before Stefan turned to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “If I’m being honest with you…over the last two days since you travelled back in time, I’ve seen a side of you that I haven’t seen in years. The brother that enlisted in the civil war to please an unloving father. The brother I looked up to when I was a boy” Stefan spoke looking at his brother. Damon sighed and walked over to pour himself another drink before he looked up at Stefan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena was a big part of that Stefan. She showed me that it’s to care about people. I don’t care about a lot of people…it’s a shortlist but profound, you’re right at the top” Damon spoke looking up at Stefan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You once told me that her faith in me brought us back together and it did. But we did the rest, I love her Stefan more than I thought possible” Damon spoke taking a seat beside Stefan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “If you had to choose between Elena and I…who would you choose?” Stefan asked after several moments of silence causing a guilty look to come over his face. Stefan saw it and a look of pain crossed his face when he understood its meaning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You had to in the future…you chose her, didn’t you?” Stefan asked getting up angrily as he faced his Damon who had his eyes glued to his hands and was unable to look up at his brother and meet his gaze. He couldn’t see the look in his eyes when he said the next words, he had in the future and it had broken what had been left of his heart at the time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yes, I did” Damon spoke after several minutes, silence reigned in the room for several moments before Stefan started to speak taking slow steps towards his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I chose you…I sacrificed everything for you. I GAVE up everyone and everything for you and you chose her over me. Over your BROTHER” Stefan said finishing up storming away from his brother and threw his glass across the room. Damon had forgotten that Stefan was still unstable, with Elena and his new relationship he had burying what he was now feeling. Damon didn’t know what to say to his brother, lying wasn’t in his nature and again he wasn’t about to start now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stefan…she chose me. For the first time in my life, someone thought that I was worth loving and I can’t give that up” Damon spoke to Stefan hoping to at least make him understand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I can’t Damon…I chose her over you and you can’t even do the same. Would she do this for you huh? Would she choose you over Jeremy?” Stefan lashed out at his brother causing a stab of pain to shoot through Damon.  He knew the answer and he couldn’t bring to himself to say it aloud, suddenly Damon was truly reminded of when he was. A wave of sadness washed over him that quickly turned to anger at everything, this had often happened in the future. When his emotions had been turned back on after Sybil had messed with his mind, he had often buried anything he was feeling in anger. Elena hadn’t been there, and he had raged at her in his drunken moments and when he had realised what he’d done he had often apologised to an empty room and an empty bottle of bourbon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m out of here, I don’t even want to be in the same room as you” Stefan spoke turning around and heading for the door. Damon sensed him moving into the forest and once he was sure Stefan was out of hearing range, he pulled out his phone and called Caroline. It had been reflective in the future, whenever Stefan had gone off the deep end it had been Caroline, he called to pull him back. The phone rang for several moments before the blonde vampire picked up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon, what’s going on?” Caroline asked cutting to the chase, in this time the only reasons they had for contact was because some catastrophe had suddenly befallen the town.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stefan got some news…he didn’t take it well and he took off into the forest. Could you find him, Caroline, I don’t think he wants to see me or Elena?” Damon spoke after a few moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What happened Damon, what did you do?” Caroline asked with anger tinging her voice. Damon’s hand tightened around the phone in anger before he spat out a reply.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Just find him Caroline” Damon snapped before hanging up on her. He looked at the phone for several moments before he threw his glass into the mantle of the fireplace. He quickly turned around grabbing a bottle of bourbon as he stalked out the door, he needed a drink and he didn’t want to deal with any more bullshit before he had to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Gilbert House, Mystic Falls</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Late Evening, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Elena was worried, it was nearly 10.30 in the evening and Damon still hadn’t turned up. The others were gathered downstairs, all except Bonnie who was sitting beside Elena who was sitting crossed-legged on her bed. And Alaric who was out searching the town for his lost friend. She hadn’t spoken a word after the repeated phone calls had gone unanswered and Alaric had said he would go looking for him. Stefan hadn’t said a word to her since he had arrived and when he first did, she swore she saw a look of jealousy pointed towards her. It had been suffocating and she had welcomed the reprieve her room had given her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “He’s ok Elena” Bonnie spoke after a few moments causing Elena to look away from her phone and towards her friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “The last time this happened he nearly died Bonnie. If Emily hadn’t been here, he would have been killed. We have to find him” Elena begged her friend who looked at her friend in sadness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I can’t locate him, I don’t know why,” Bonnie said to her best friend. Elena’s phone ringing interrupted whatever Elena was about to say. As she brought the screen to her face and saw Alaric was calling her, she hastily picked up hoping for news on Damon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Did you find him?” Elena asked not even bothering to greet him over the phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah, I found him…Elena he’s wasted I don’t know what happened, but I found him passed out in the graveyard near the Salvatore crypt,” Alaric said down the phone. This didn’t explain why she hadn’t been able to feel him since sometime after Caroline had gotten the phone call.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Bring him home Ric, please,” Elena said hanging up the phone. Since Stefan had shown up, he hadn’t said a word but now she had to know what had happened. She jumped off the bed and stormed down the stair’s intent to find out what Stefan had said to his brother. As she came down the stairs, she saw Stefan sitting on the couch beside Caroline, he looked up as she walked in the door, a hard look crossing his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What did you say to him?” Elena spat at Stefan shocking him before he jumped up and walked across the room away from Elena. He turned and look at her for a moment before he made up his mind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What did you?” Stefan asked looking at his former love with pain in his eyes, though things had changed with her and Damon they had yet to speak a word of what had happened between them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We blood bonded” Elena murmured after a moment unable to look at him but not ashamed of her actions and after a few moments of stunned silence Stefan spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “That’s not possible…how…when?” Stefan sputtered out pain colouring his tone. Elena looked up at him for a moment but was unable to meet the agony that radiated from his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Last night…we completed the bond. It had been open from one side…his side, but I asked him to complete it” Elena murmured sitting down on the now free couch beside a confused Caroline.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What’s a blood bond?” Caroline asked confusedly from beside her friend. Stefan was the one to answer before Elena had a chance to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It’s a bond, I’ve never heard of it forming between a human and a vampire before. It forms when there is a strong emotional tie between the two vampires. It’s formed when the two parties share blood between each other” Stefan spoke, denial colouring his tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It can’t exist between a vampire and a human both parties <em>have </em>to be vampires,” Stefan said moving and walking towards Elena. Bonnie entered the room, shooting Stefan a warning look not to get any closer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It can and it does. I felt what Damon felt…and he felt what I felt” Elena murmured looking up at Stefan from where she was sitting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Did you know Damon and I met first?” Elena asked after several moments again shocking Stefan into silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What?” Stefan again sputtered out in shock, this evening…these last several days had revealed more about Damon than the last century and a half had.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon and I met the night my parents died. Just before the accident, he compelled me to forget” Elena murmured to Stefan sitting down beside Caroline once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “And that’s it…you meet him first and all your feelings for me disappear overnight? Have you forgotten what’s he’s done, he compelled your best friend and used her as a blood bag? He turned Vicki and he killed your brother and you can forget all that?” Stefan said in anger, throwing all the horrible things in Elena's face and it hit her with the force of a slap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stop it Stefan” Bonnie’s voice broke through the silence that followed Stefan’s outburst. Bonnie walked into the room and the look on her face was furious and it was directed at Stefan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What right do you have to judge him after the things you have done over the summer? What you think you get an out because you were saving Damon? Damon didn’t make you kill all those people and rip them apart. Damon has made mistakes, but he has once not taken ownership for what he’s done” Bonnie said in anger, a slight wind rattling the windows outside. Elena looked at her friend in shock, she couldn’t believe Bonnie was standing up for Damon. Elena shot her friend a grateful look at her best friend, whatever was going to be spoken next was broken up by the sound of Ric’s car pulling up into the driveway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Elena had gotten up, not looking back at Stefan as she rushed towards the front door. Ripping it open she dashed down the stairs, towards Ric who had only just gotten out of the driver’s seat of the car. He stopped her before she reached towards the back of the car, she could see Damon’s hair sticking up from where he was passed out on the back seat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena he’s passed out. I didn’t even know vampires could get blackout drunk” Ric said concern colouring his voice. Elena again went for the back door, but she was stopped by Ric.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Whatever is going on between you and him…you have to be sure Elena. I don’t think it’s a good idea to string him along” Ric murmured to her looking down into her eyes. Elena met his gaze steadily for a few moments before she spoke, there was heat in her words as she spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m sure Ric…I’m in love with him” Elena murmured causing Ric to drop her arm in shock, allowing her to duck around and open the back door of the car. The sight that met her broke her heart just a little bit. Damon was passed out on the back seat, in one of his hands was a bottle of bourbon clutched tightly in his sleep. She reached in and the second she touched his hand the bond flared to existence. She could feel him, but it was confusing and disorienting as if he was there, but he wasn’t and she knew it was the alcohol causing this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I couldn’t get him to drop that” Ric murmured concern lacing his voice, though the two men had their differences in the past several weeks since Damon had apologised, they had returned to the easy friendship they had shared before. And Ric was used to being the only one who would see him like this, after heavy nights of drinking over the summer he had learned that his friend loved his bourbon. Ric watched as Elena reached down to the hand that gripped the bottle that he held in one his hands and softly took in her own smaller one. Damon tensed his hand but then calmed down as if realising who it was that was touching him. Elena pulled him up surprising Ric with the ease with which she did that and started to move him towards the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Ric can you get his other side” Elena murmured starting to move Damon out of the car, Ric ducked under his other side. Together they carried an unconsciousness Damon into the house, as they walked in the house Elena saw that Caroline and Stefan had disappeared, but Bonnie was still there, and that Jeremy had joined her on the couch. As Ric went to move forwards, towards the free couch Elena stopped him indicating the stairs. Ric again raised an eyebrow but moved Damon up and towards the stairs than in the direction of Elena’s room. After several moments they were able to get him into her bed. Ric had taken off his jacket and helped Elena lay him down in her bed. Elena moved up and removed his boots from his feet and slowly sat down beside him picking up his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Do you need anything?” Ric asked after a moment causing Elena to look back at him. He was standing behind her, concern for his friend lacing his voice. Elena shook her head and after a moment he walked out the room closing the door behind him. Elena looked down at Damon again before she got up and started to get ready for bed. As she walked back into the room after brushing her teeth and getting changed, she lay down beside Damon who was laying down on his back. After several moments she raised one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulder, she nuzzled into his side moving around for several moments before coming to a stop. She was nuzzled into her neck, and after a few moments, she felt him tighten his hold around her. As Elena lay there, she was slowly being lulled to sleep by the scent of him she silently resolved to tell him how she felt as soon as possible.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Gilbert House, Mystic Falls</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Next Day-Morning, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>            Damon slowly came to the first thing he felt was the splitting headache that was pounding through his head. The second thing he noticed was the bright light shooting into his closed eyes which confused him for a moment before suddenly he felt the warm body pressed up against him. He knew through the bond that it was Elena curled into his side, one of her legs was entwined between his and her face was using his shoulder as a pillow. Suddenly the pain he was feeling starting to melt away as the feelings of love radiated through the bond.  He slowly looked down at her for a few moments before he slowly got up and threw his leg over the side of the bed. He realised that he was indeed in Elena’s room, it had been years since he had been in this room, the house had burned down in the future after Jeremy’s death.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon slowly got up and walked over to the window looking down into the street in the early morning. The events of yesterday slowly started to come back in pieces to him, the fight with Stefan and his inability to deny his words. He had fallen back into old habits; he had downed the first bottle of bourbon before he had reached the end of the driveway. After a quick stop at the local liquor store (in which he had cleared out their stock of bourbon), he had sped to the graveyard and sat outside Salvatore crypt a habit he had picked up in the future. He had steadily drunk his way through his new supply of bourbon and slowly he had reached the proper stage of drunkenness. He vaguely remembered Ric finding him, but by the point, Ric had gotten him to his car he had passed out. The rustling of the sheets behind him caused him to turn and look at the woman who was slowly waking up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            She stretched her hand out over the other side of the bed when she didn’t find anything she shot up and looked around frantically before she caught sight of him. When she did she smiled at him and it was like his world had come alive again. He felt rather than saw her asking him to join her, as he walked over to the bed he slid back under the covers. She had immediately burrowed into his side again; she sleepily pressed her lips into Damon’s neck in the gentlest of kisses before she settled down and sighed in contentment. For a few moments there was a comfortable silence before Elena sighed again, and suddenly could feel her worry for him through their bond. He turned his face and looked down into her eyes, for a moment nothing was said before she closed the distance between them and kissed him on the lips for the first time since he had been thrown into the past.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Damon fell easily into the kiss, falling into the old habits Elena and he had developed in the future. Elena was a morning person, even after she was turned, and Damon was not by any means. She had developed other methods to wake him up in the morning, some of these had involved rolling around naked in bed the first thing as they woke up. The other was the lazy make out sessions they often had after a long night. Damon smiled softly into Elena’s lips before he broke the kiss, gently stroking her hair out of her face as he looked down at her from his position beside her. She looked at him for a few moments before she spoke the words that shook him to the core.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you Damon” Elena murmured sending all her love through the bond causing his breath to catch. He looked at her before he leaned down and passionately kissed her pouring all his love into both the kiss and their bond causing Elena to gasp again and pull him on top of her. A sudden knock on the door broke them apart and while Elena regained her breathe Damon simply smiled down at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Damon, I’m sorry to break this up but Bonnie and Caroline are downstairs as well as Jeremy. We need to know what’s going on Damon” Ric’s voice came through the door. Damon sighed and lowered his forehead in defeat to Elena’s shoulder. She sighed as well before she answered Ric.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’ll be down in five minutes Ric” Elena called to him, Ric was silent before he moved away and down the stairs. Damon raised himself and looked at Elena for a few moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I love you Elena Gilbert,” Damon said softly causing a smile to erupt on her face. She pulled him back down and passionately kissed him before she pushed him up and rolled out from underneath him and sprang from the bed shocking Damon. She pulled him up quickly hugging him before she ducked around him and made her way to the bathroom.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Could you make me a coffee please?” Elena murmured before she walked in the door closing it softly behind her. Damon was shocked for a moment before he laughed and got out of bed. He made his way out the door and down the stairs pausing as he came to Bonnie, Caroline, Ric and Jeremy who were all crowded around the kitchen. It was awkward for a moment before Damon moved and started to prepare two cups of coffee. He worked on autopilot as he heard them move awkwardly before Jeremy it seemed decided to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You ok Damon?” Jeremy asked as he took a seat at the kitchen island. Damon sighed as he looked down at the two mugs and slowly prepared Elena’s the way she liked it. He turned once he was done, picking his up and leaving Elena’s on the counter beside him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah it’s uh been a weird couple of days,” Damon said as he drank his coffee. Before anyone else spoke Elena came down the stairs and into the kitchen. Damon automatically fell into old habits, picking up her coffee and passing it to her before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and as she took a sip of her coffee she looked at up Damon in slight shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How do you know how I take my coffee?” Elena murmured causing Damon to sigh as the elephant in the room reared its ugly head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Time to do some explaining let’s go to the lounge room it’s a long story” Damon murmured leading everyone into the room. Stefan suddenly opened the front door and walked into the room; the two brothers looked at each other awkwardly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stefan” Damon murmured causing Stefan to nod his head at his brother.</p>
<p>“Damon” his brother replied. Damon moved into the room and sat down on the coffee table so he could see everyone and to give him some distance from everyone. They all took seats around Damon on the various couches and as they got comfortable Damon started to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well as you know I’m from the future, and the man you saw me fighting against is also from the future. I’m not sure how we got transported back in time I guess because, in all honesty, I thought I was going to be waking up in hell” Damon murmured looking down at his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean hell, like the metaphorical kind?” Ric asked in confusion causing Damon to shake his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, I mean the literal hell. That man you saw yesterday created hell and he runs it. He feeds off damned and wicked souls turning them slowly into demons to serve him” Damon murmured causing everyone to look at him in shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, wait the devil exists and so does hell?” Jeremy asked in confusion causing Damon to look at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not in the biblical sense, Cade was once human he was the first-ever psychic in history. He was a good person while he was alive, he used his gifts to help people. Until one day he read a man in his village and he saw that he was going to “aggressively” pursue another villager. He went to the man offering his help, but the man was shocked and rejected his help. What he did next I guess created both Cade and hell. He turned all the other villages against him, saying he was using his power for evil, the villages captured Cade and burned him at the stake. But when he died, he let out an explosive amount of psychic energy that created a dimension known as hell, it took on the theme of his death, the fire was a big theme” Damon murmured getting up and walking to the front window looking out onto the front lawn.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How did you come into contact with him?” Ric asked breaking the shocked silence of the room. Damon sighed, afraid and unable to explain the next parts.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He had several servants that were devoted to bringing him from hell and onto this plain. Two were sirens, psychics themselves who were banished to the same island Cade died on. One of the sisters used her powers to lure sailors to the island and she became a cannibal. After a while Cade appeared and offered them freedom in exchange they would feast on the flesh of the damned and he would feast on their souls” Damon murmured to the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And their connection to you?” Bonnie asked causing Damon to turn back out the window ashamed of the events that had happened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sybil, one of the Sirens used her powers on me…I became her servant for a time, and she used me deliver her damned people” he murmured unable to look back at the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why you Damon?” Elena asked walking up behind Damon and placing her hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned to her and saw no judgement in her eyes-only concern for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I had quite a bloody history and she wanted to use that. I brought her damned souls and she ate them. I was eventually able to throw off her power, but the damage had already been done. I had killed a lot of people; they some were bad, but some weren’t…a lot of them weren’t” Damon murmured coming and sitting on the single person ouch. Elena however simply perched herself on the arm of the seat and placed a hand supportively on her shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was able to resist her, but then she found out about my secret and way I would escape in my mind so then she tinkered in my head” Damon murmured looking down at his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean tinkered?” Stefan asked after several moments, the anger he had felt for his brother yesterday was gone, the only left was a concern.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That small part of me that regained some semblance of humanity, I would go there in my mind. When Sybil found out about it she altered my memories so she took that piece of humanity” Damon replied to his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What were the memories that she altered?” Caroline asked after a few moments causing Damon to freeze and look at anywhere but his brother. Damon contemplated lying or just not answering but he decided against it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Elena…she erased Elena from me…rather she altered all my memories so that any feelings I had for her were gone” Damon murmured unable to look at anyone in the room. Elena placed an arm around Damon, resting her head against his. She picked up the closest hand to her and held it tightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If he erased Elena from your mind how were you able to fight her off?” Caroline asked in confusion, Damon looked at her and smiled softly at the blonde which was a look that had never been directed at her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You Caroline…even though I couldn’t remember Elena I would get flashes, and then Caroline gave me her necklace. It brought everything rushing back and for the first time, I was able to resist her” Damon replied to the blond who was looking at him in shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I helped save you?” Caroline asked in shock, she was unable to comprehend this and it again sent a familiar stab of pain through his chest. Elena tightened her hand around him, indicating she had felt him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah you did, anyway at the moment whatever that spell was that you did you yesterday Bonnie, it seems to have bought us time and honestly we have other more pressing matters to deal with” Damon murmured to the room, Damon turned his attention to his best friend Ric who realised Damon was now looking at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is it, Damon?” Ric asked, Damon, got up and walked into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. Walking back into the room he poured two glasses and handed one to Ric.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re going to need this Ric” Damon replied to his friend, now the whole room had concerned looks on their faces. Damon sighed and took a drink from his glass, swirling the amber liquid around and swallowing it down in one go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ric…I don’t know how to tell you this…but someone has been tinkering with your mind” Damon replied to his friend who was now looking very confused. Elena walked over to Damon and looked at Ric with concern now before she grabbed Damon’s hand urging him on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Esther, the original witch wants a solider to exterminate the vampire race however at the moment she exists on the Other Side, every time you have died she has been playing in your head. Those times were your memory has been hazy, you’ve blackout and well…those unsolved murders well crime solved” Damon replied to the room, suddenly Caroline looked at Ric with pain colouring her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did Ric…did he kill my father?” Caroline choked out, Ric looked at her then he looked at Damon as if he was hoping he would refute Caroline’s claim. Damon looked at him before he answered Caroline’s question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes he did, but it wasn’t him Blondie he wasn’t in control. Esther was or Hunter it gets confusing” Damon replied, Ric, looked him confused.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hunter?” Ric asked looking at his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, the name of your alter ego and well Ric’s he’s a bigger dick than I am” Damon replied cracking a smile trying to alleviate some of the uncomfortable silence in the room. Caroline shook her head in denial and then started for the door unable to look at anyone in the room. Stefan shot after her, this had effectively ended the meeting and Damon’s revelations for the day. He sighed before he looked over at Bonnie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In the future…you were eventually able to find a spell that broke this sort of link between people. I know you can find it Ric’s needs that spell” Damon spoke, not mentioning that they hadn’t been able to find it for several years…well after the need for it had passed, at least in Ric’s case. Bonnie nodded her head and rose from the couch, Jeremy got up and followed Bonnie towards the front door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll help, we need to find this” Jeremy said looking at Bonnie. Damon was confused for several moments before he remembered again that they weren’t together, at least at the moment. Bonnie must have still been upset about Jeremy not telling her about seeing his dead girlfriends.  Bonnie nodded her head in reply and they both walked out the front door, Ric walked over to where Damon had placed the bottle bourbon and picked it up pouring another glass and chugging it down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not your fault Ric, Esther has been using you it wasn’t you,” Damon said to Ric hoping to calm his guilty consciousness. Ric shook his head in response and poured himself another glass drinking that down too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I still did its Damon, I might not remember it but I did it” Ric replied to his friend walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the counter. Damon sighed and walked into the room and sat beside his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, you didn’t, this bitch Esther made you do it if you want to blame someone blame me I killed you it's on me not you,” Damon said placing his hand on his best friend shoulder and gripping it tightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s right Ric, you would never hurt Caroline at least not on purpose” Elena spoke up from behind Ric. He shot up and took a step back from Elena as if he would reach out and attack her. Elena was having none of this and she quickly pulled her surrogate father into a hug.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re going to get rid of this Hunter and you're going to be fine, right Damon?” Elena said stepping back and leaning between Damon’s legs. He automatically placed his arms around her and took a deep breath blocking out the memory of fighting for his life against his best friend…and then slowly feeling Alaric die and knowing that somewhere Elena was too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Your damn right” Damon murmured, looking at his friend and vowing to make sure what happened in his future would never occur in theirs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What did everyone think of the chapter? </p>
<p>On a side note I wrote a short story that is an original piece of fiction from me, if any likes my writing style check it out if you are interested and I thank you all for reading the this story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. New Plan and a Blossoming Friendship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here  is another chapter, sorry I couldn't get it out last night but had some chores to do around the house.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Bennet House, Evening </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mystic Falls, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>Damon stood on the Bennet porch and raised his hand to know once again, he had been standing out here for the last five minutes raising his hand to knock and then lowering it. He had avoided talking with Bonnie one on one because out of all of the people who still disliked him in this time, he wasn’t sure how he would take seeing the old look of loathing Bonnie used to send his way. In the future they had become best friends, she was one of the few people who could see who he was, and she accepted him. Bonnie was one of the most important people in his life and it truly hurt that he couldn’t talk to her as he once did. Sighing again he raised his hand and banged on the door, hearing movement from Jeremy and Bonnie in the lounge room. Suddenly the door was opened and there stood Bonnie, as predicted when she saw who it was, her stance turned defensive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon…what do you want?” Bonnie asked in a neutral tone, Damon hid his reaction the best he can, but a small flinch made its way out. Bonnie saw this though and a confused expression crossed her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I just wanted to know if you and Jeremy need any help?” Damon asked hoping his voice wouldn’t give him away. She looked at him strangely with an eyebrow raised before, giving him a look, he had seen many times in the future; it was as if she was seeing right through him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Are you ok?” Bonnie asked, reaching out and grabbing a hold of his arm before he could stop her. Suddenly her eyes glazed over, and Damon realised that she was having a vision…of the future. <em>Damn it</em> Damon had forgotten that Bonnie shared Cade’s psychic power, even now untrained she was still one of the most powerful psychics in the world. Suddenly Bonnie released his arm and took several steps back, so she was standing in the doorway just over the threshold. She was looking at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Damon was confused and before he could say anything to her she had slammed the door in his face. He heard her footsteps moving away from the door and towards the lounge room. Suddenly smelled burning incense and Damon realised Bonnie had lit sage to not allow Damon to overhear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon sighed and turned around walking back to his car, he opened the driver side door. He stopped before he sat down and looked back up at the house, he saw Bonnie in the window but when she saw he was looking at her she disappeared back into the house. Damon shook his head and got into his car, started it up and driving away towards the direction of the Gilbert. Damon hoped that whatever Bonnie had seen when she had touched him hadn’t been bad, Damon had the feeling it was more confusing than bad, but Bonnie didn’t want to discuss it. As Damon pulled up at the Gilbert residence, he decided to handle whatever she had seen tomorrow. The last several days had been stressful and all Damon wanted was for everything to stop and just be with Elena. It was surreal sometimes, she had been in a sleeping spell that had been tied with Bonnie’s life; if Bonnie died Elena would wake, it was the perfect torture devised by Kai Parker to torture him.  He hadn’t felt the softness of lips or her intoxicating scent that both sent him on edge and gave him a sense of home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon realised he had stopped outside the Gilbert house, he switched off the ignition and opened the car door. Damon felt Elena move from up in her room down towards the front door and suddenly the light was flooding out of the house with Elena standing in the centre, the light leaking behind her giving almost supernatural appearance. Suddenly the ache of not having her touch for over four years became too much and before he knew what he was doing he was moving towards her almost at a human running pace. He took her into his arms and pulled her up off the ground, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her neck. Damon could feel the concern from her and her love for him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. After a few moments Damon put her down, he loosened his grip on her but only enough so that she could look into his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Are you ok?” Elena murmured placing one of her hands on his cheek, he sighed and leaned into it.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“I’m ok” Damon replied causing Elena to snort out a laugh.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>“No you’re not, whatever is going on you can talk to me you know” Elena murmured looking up into his eyes. He sighed and smiled softly down at her, every time he thought he couldn’t love her more somehow, he managed to fall a little bit more in love with her every day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I love you, Elena Gilbert” Damon breathed out looking down into her eyes, flooding the bond with the depth of the emotions behind his words. Elena looked up at him before she took his face into her hands and brought it down for a gentle kiss.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I love you Damon Salvatore” Elena murmured before she broke away and started towards the door, after they entered the house she started in the directions the stairs dragging him along with her. Once they reached her room, she closed the door before she pushed him against it hard and started to passionately kiss him. Damon was shocked for a moment before he started to respond, one hand wrapping around her waist and others became lost in her hair.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For minutes they lost themselves in each other before Elena’s need to breathe caused them to break apart. She buried her face into his neck again, a place Damon knew she loved to be, and he slowly wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and pulled away, Damon realised she had bags under her eyes, and she seemed to be almost falling asleep on her feet. He urged her towards the bathroom, saying she needed a shower and to relax.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After he heard the sound of the shower turn on, he slowly walked over to Elena’s bed, kicking off his boots and them placing down the side of her bed. He got up and pulled his jacket off, putting over the seat at her desk. He pulled his belt off and then his shirt walking over Elena’s bed. He wasn’t trying to seduce her…well not yet but he wanted to show her he would never leave her, that she would always be by her side. Elena walked out of her bathroom and her pulse picked up at the sight of him shirtless. She smiled and walked over to the bed, pulling him down onto his back. She got into what he knew was her favourite position; the crook of his shoulder that seemed to be made for her. She slowly started to drift off and he spoke silently not realising she would hear him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you” Damon murmured drinking in her features, the way her smile also caused a slight brush to appear in her cheeks and those eyes, those brown eyes that conveyed so much love for him that he could get lost in them for hours. Damon thought she was almost asleep when suddenly she sat up and looked at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What do you mean?” Elena murmured which caused Damon to sit up and look away. He knew this was going to come up eventually, but he didn’t know where to begin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Downstairs…you said Sybil tried to erase me from your mind…but where was I, Damon?” Elena asked moving behind Damon, wrapping her arms around him she leaned her head down and softly kissed his neck. Damon sighed softly reaching up and slowly threading his hand through her hair before turning and facing her fully.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There is someone I piss off, Bonnie and I…a witch, a very powerful and he comes up with a way to torture me, a spell he gets from someone who I stupidly trusted. It was a sleeping spell, essentially you would be put into an enchanted sleep until the person the spell was tied to…died. He linked it to my best friend and I couldn’t do it, I love you but you were only sleeping I couldn’t kill her you have to, believe me, I wanted to some times but I couldn’t” Damon said suddenly trying to explain himself, it was something that made him question himself again and again and then caused a large amount of pain. If he had killed Bonnie or let her die, he would have had Elena back in a heartbeat, but he couldn’t do it. Bonnie had become like a sister to him and Elena was only sleeping… she wasn’t dead. But he often tortured himself in the future that he was willing to do everything to get Elena back., but he was horrified that someday he would be forced to make a final choice between Elena and Bonnie. But here and now he had her breathing beside him and he would ill anyone hat would dare take that away from him again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “She…what do you mean sh?” Elena murmured confused for a moment; it took a few seconds for him to catch on to what she meant.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah, this is a bombshell but in the future, Bonnie and I are best friends” Damon smiled at Elena before remembering what they were talking about. Elena was looking at him for a moment before she pulled him in for a passionate kiss for a few moments.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, you couldn’t kill your best friend to wake me? Damon that’s what I would have wanted and I’m so proud of you that you took the high road” Elena murmured causing Damon to look at her, he softly started to stroke her cheek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Bonnie said the same thing; she was there for me in some pretty dark moments and believe it or not I didn’t do it for you. I couldn’t kill Bonnie no matter how hard I tried because she kept me sane when you weren’t there” Damon said self-doubt evident in his voice. Elena had a sudden look on her face and asked him something he had never wanted to ask himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “If it came down to me and Bonnie…you had to choose one of us, who would it be?” Elena asked with a challenging look on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You…I told you once before I would always choose you and I mean it as much today as the day when I told you it the first time” Damon murmured pain etched in his tone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Stop doubting yourself, I can feel how much you love me, and I love you…more than I ever thought possible” Elena said, Damon looked down at her before he laid down on her bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Why did you suddenly choose me…what brought it all on?” Damon asked as Elena settled down on his shoulder. She was silent, thinking for a moment before she started to answer his question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It was a lot of things…the bond showed me how much you loved me and that I realized this feeling I have towards you, its love. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you and I finally admitted it to myself. It was more than that though, finding out we met first was one thing and then Enzo and the Augustine was another. I finally understood why you ran from your emotions, and I realized you were right I was lying to myself. I was a hypocrite, making you feel when I wouldn’t do the same. And then we completed the bond I knew, now more strongly than I have ever known was that I love you Damon” Elena spoke, becoming more passionate as she spoke. Damon leaned in slowly toward her lips, stopping when he was a few inches away from kissing her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, you're choosing me then?” Damon murmured looking at her and softly stroking the strand of hair that had fallen over her face behind her ear. She smiled at him softly for a moment before she reached up and pulled him down to her mouth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yes, I am Damon” she murmured between their kisses; this went on for several moments before Damon again felt her tiredness through the bond. He stopped and slowly moved as she lay her head down on her shoulder. He switched off her bedside light and the room was suddenly bathed in darkness, though Damon could still see perfectly. Elena's eyes were slowly drifting close every few moments before they closed, and Damon knew she was about to fall asleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I love you Elena Gilbert” Damon murmured turning his head and softly kissing the top of her head. She smiled and snuggled closer to him a feeling of happiness washing over her and a feeling of safety.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I love you Damon Salvatore” Elena murmured before she started to breathe more evenly, Damon lay there and closed his eyes. He slowly started to be lulled to sleep by the sound of her heartbeat and the sound of her breathing lulled him to sleep.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Gilbert Residence, Mystic Falls, The Next Day</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Next Day, Morning, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>It was only 7 a.m. and Elena had been up for hours since Damon had roused and slowly slipped out of bed. He had murmured that he would be back after she got back from school, he had a couple of phone calls to make and he had to feed. He had made her coffee (just the way she liked it) placed it beside her and murmured he would see her later before kissing her goodbye. Elena had wandered down the stairs after she had showered and dressed for school, she was eating a bit of toast when there was a knock at the front door followed closely by Bonnie's voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena can I come in…I need to talk to you about something” she called through the door as Elena walked to the door. She opened it and her witch friend walked in looking around for someone and Elena had a feeling it was Damon she was looking to avoid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What’s going on?” Elena asked as her friend realized they were alone, Bonnie slowly walked into the kitchen. She looked confused so Elena offered her seat in the lounge room.  Elena sat beside</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon…I touched Damon yesterday and I saw flashes and felt how he felt towards me…Elena I think Damon and I had a romantic relationship in the future” Bonnie murmured looking distressed at the prospect. Elena looked at her friend for a few moments before she suddenly started to laugh unable to contain herself. Bonnie got a confused look on her face before she cracked a smile at her friend; it was nice to hear Elena laugh so carefree and happy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Trust me Bonnie there was no romantic relationship in the future. He loves you like a sister, he told me last night” Elena murmured to her friend who let out a relieved breath before she suddenly looked more confused.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Me and Damon are that close in the future?” Bonnie asked in shock causing Elena to nod her in the confirmation</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah you are there for him a lot in the future…Bonnie he’s a good guy you just have to give him a chance. Please he’s going to be a big part of my life and I want you guys to get along” Elena murmured as Bonnie sighed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I saw how much he cares about me and in the few flashes I saw he and I were having fun, and I guess it wouldn’t kill me to give him a chance” Bonne murmured causing Elena to wrap her arms around her best friend. Bonnie smiled and returned the hug for several moments before she pulled back and checked the time on her phone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Do you want a lift to school?” Bonnie asked and Elena nodded her head in thank you. She grabbed her bag and walked out the door following Bonnie closely as they walked down to her car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Salvatore Boarding House, Mystic Falls</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Midday, <em>2011</em></strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            Damon was sipping on his second blood bag, not realising how hungry he was and for the moment he was savouring the peace of the boarding gave him. Damon had been turning idea’s over in his head, the deal he made with Klaus was an empty one; he would gladly hand over Katherine to him but he couldn’t waste the only cure on the bitch and now Damon was throwing up an idea and wondering if it would work. He would have to tell the others; he would need their help if it didn’t go the way he wanted it to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly he heard the sound of Stefan’s Porsche coming up the driveway, Damon heard the car stop and the heavy footfalls of Stefan walking up the front door. Stefan appeared in the doorway seeing his brother in the sitting room made him pause for a moment before he continued into the boarding house, joining Damon in the sitting room. He took a seat on the couch that Damon had been perched on and stared into the fire, the brothers sat in silence for a few moments</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What happened in the future? What happened that made you choose her over me?” Stefan asked not taking his eyes away from the fire. Damon investigated the fire for a moment and contemplated lying to his brother, but he realised it was a pointless endeavour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Elena had been placed in a deep sleep using a spell, it was tied to a person’s life and I couldn’t bring myself to kill them. I was in a bad way when she was first placed in the spell Stefan…you don’t understand how much she means to me” Damon murmured seeing his brother turn to face him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m not a good brother without Elena and when I’m not a good brother people die,” Damon said looking at his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I tried Stefan, but I just kept screwing up, so I made a choice. I decided that I would desiccate beside her. It didn’t matter, you ended waking me up a couple of years after I started to desiccate. And I couldn’t leave you, trust me you weren’t the only one I had apologies to make to” Damon said looking back into the fire whilst Stefan slowly absorbed his words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You truly love her, don’t you?” Stefan asked quite astonished, he had never quite believed his brother had been capable of feeling true emotion but here he was bearing his heart to his brother, talking like they hadn’t since they were human. Damon nodded his head in agreement knowing he had finally made his brother understand what Elena meant to the elder vampire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I do and I’m sorry that it hurts you but I’m not sorry that I fell I love with her” Damon replied to his brother. He got up and poured him and his brother a drank, passing it to him as to sit back down beside his brother.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You know I’m not going to let you give yourself to Klaus, right?” Stefan questioned causing his brother to freeze and look at him in shock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “How…how did you know?” Damon asked astonished, Stefan got up and walked over the fireplace.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I called Klaus…asked him what the deal was you made with him. The only part he would tell me was that you had taken my place” Stefan spoke not able to look at his brother. Damon sighed and decided to let his brother in on his plan, he got up and walked over to his brother. He placed a hand on his shoulder and turned Stefan to face him, in his eyes he saw the same fear he saw all those years ago when Damon had yet to choose yet to turn into a vampire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I have a plan Stefan, and I’m going to need yours and everyone’s help” Damon murmured, and as he slowly explained his plan to Stefan who received shock after shock as he revealed aspects of the future to him. As Damon finished his plan Stefan was looking at his brother as if he had grown another head, but he could see he was slowly starting to accept what his idea. He had left a part of the original deal out and he knew he would have to share it with everyone, he would have to tell everyone about the cure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You might want to get everyone over here ASAP, we’re going to need to start the plan immediately” Stefan spoke to his brother who nodded in agreement, Damon pulled out his phone and texted everyone to meet at the boarding house. As he slowly started to receive confirmations, he tried to think of how the night would play out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Boarding House, Mystic Falls, Same Day </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Evening, <em>2011 </em></strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p>
<p>            Elena was driving to the Salvatore Mansion with Jeremy in the passenger seat, Caroline and Bonnie were sitting in the back and as usual, Caroline was talking a mile a minute. She had been complaining that Damon had been surprisingly tight-lipped about their future relationships and frankly she wanted to know how she and Tyler were going to turn out. As they pulled up the boarding house Elena started to feel the warmth that always came when she was near him now. As she got out of the car, she saw Alaric’s car was here and suddenly a car pulled up behind Elena’s and she realised it was Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes pulling up. They watched as she got out of the car and made her way slowly towards the group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Hey everyone” Liz murmured to the group, softly hugging her daughter in hello and awkwardly looking at Jeremy and Elena. Things had strained between them since Liz had accidentally shot and killed her brother, but now Elena realised after the last several days that she had been too hard on the woman who had helped take care of her and her brother after the death of their parents.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Hey Sheriff, have you been filled in?” came Alaric’s voice from behind the group, they all turned and noticed that Alaric, Damon and Stefan had walked out to greet everyone. However, it was Damon’s reaction that froze everyone the spot, he was looking at Liz like he was seeing a ghost and it sent a sudden chill down her spine; what could happen to Liz that it looked Damon was seeing her for the first time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Liz… you're…here” Damon murmured walking down and shocking the sheriff by pulling her into a tight hug which shocked everyone. Liz had slowly been accepting Damon as a vampire since she had found out about the Salvatore brothers and her own daughters’ status as vampires. She slowly returned the hug awkwardly looking at everyone for clarification as Damon released her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Sorry Liz, it’s been a weird couple of days” Damon murmured turning around and starting to walk back inside. The girls shot each other looks before they started to walk up and inside the boarding house followed by Liz. Stefan and Alaric were on the couch in front of the fireplace talking quietly. Damon was walking over to the drink cart as Bonnie and Caroline sat down on the free couch while Liz took a place by the fireplace. Damon turned and looked at the room for a few moments before he started to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I made a deal with Klaus to get Stefan back and for him to leave Elena alone” Damon murmured causing Elena who was still walking in the room to stand beside Damon, concern written on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I promised him two things, for Stefan’s freedom I offered to take his place…and Klaus accepted” Damon murmured causing a ripple of a shock to go through the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “You did WHAT?” Elena spoke screaming the last word at him, there was a look of fear and dread, Damon could feel her panic begin to build through the bond. He took her in his arms, she hit him several times on the chest before giving up and burying her face in his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “It’s ok Shhh I’m not going anywhere I only made it to buy time to figure out what I could give Klaus to leave us alone” Damon murmured to her, the rest of the room were looking at each other before Liz decided to speak.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Damon, what was the second part of the deal?” Liz questioned causing Damon’s heart to start to beat faster. Here it comes, one of the big secrets that were going to be a bombshell when it dropped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I promised him Katherine…as a human to take Elena’s place” Damon murmured causing his brother to look at him in confusion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Wait for human, you just said you were going to trade Katherine before, she’s a vampire she can’t become human” Stefan asked wondering where his brother was going with this. Damon sighed and looked at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There’s a cure Stefan…a cure for vampirism” Damon murmured causing everyone in the room to freeze in shock once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What…how…where?” Stefan spluttered out as the whole room slowly absorbed the news of a cure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Did you find it…in the future?” Bonnie asked quietly looking at Damon as if he was a puzzle she was trying to figure out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yes, we did, there are enough doses for three vampires…more if certain vampires take the cure” Damon murmured, Elena was gripping his hand giving him a look that he couldn’t quite understand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, a human doppelganger and a Salvatore is what Klaus wanted?” Ric asked his friend who nodded in confirmation to his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Did you have any ideas?” Caroline asked looking at Elena with concern. Klaus had already done a lot of damage and she wasn’t sure how much more Elena could take from the monster. Damon nodded and looked at everyone slowly before he looked down at Elena who had her arm wrapped around his waist and was holding him tightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “There are two options; the first is we take Klaus out, I have to stress we can’t kill Klaus because if we do Caroline, Stefan and I will die” Damon murmured, Elena felt a ripple of fear go through her. Damon, Caroline and Stefan were the most important people in Elena’s life, and she didn’t know what she would do without them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What do you mean if we kill Klaus Caroline dies?” Liz asked moving closer to her daughter fear on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “If you kill an Original all the vampires that are part of their bloodline dies as well. And Klaus is the grandsire to Katherine which in turn makes you, Caroline and I as part of his bloodline” Damon replied, he was running his hand up and down Elena’s arm in a calming gesture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, we can’t kill him what are the other options?” Bonnie asked looking to Damon, he thought he saw a look of concern cross her face as she looked at him, but it was gone before Damon blinked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We make him an ally” Damon murmured causing an explosion of noise to erupt in the room. Stefan was sitting there as Damon had already filled him in on the plan…well for the most part (the cure was quite the shock), but everyone else was voice their objections. Suddenly Elena whistled bringing the whole room to a standstill.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Let’s just hear him out first ok, how do we make him an ally?” Elena asked Damon who looked down at her, thankful for the trust she was placing in him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Two things crossed my mind; the first was his father Michael, if we kill him then he will be indebted to us. The second will be the reason behind why he wants to make hybrids” Damon replied look at his love.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “What’s the second?” Caroline asked breaking the moment between Damon and Elena.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Klaus more than anything wants a family, people who will be loyal to him and only him. He makes an army of hybrids in the future, but they all turn against him and he kills them all, all except Tyler” Damon replied looking at the blonde.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “So, what do we give him?” Bonnie asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We give him the means to have a daughter” Damon replied dropping another bombshell on the group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Klaus can reproduce?” Bonnie asked a look of disgust on her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Yeah he can, in the future having a kid mellows Klaus out, we are never going to be best friends, but he becomes someone we can count on” Damon replied, everyone was looking at each other mulling over the two options. Elena spoke first and her words were quite shocking.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I think we should go with Damon’s plan, if we turn Klaus into an ally, we could get his help with Cade and anyone else as well” Elena replied looking up at Damon, she leaned in and kissed his cheek showing her support for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Are we sure about this?” Caroline asked the group. “I mean this is Klaus, we are putting some trust in Klaus?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “We’re not putting it in Klaus, we’re putting it in Damon” Bonnie replied looking at Damon against before she spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I’m in with plan turn Klaus to our side” Bonnie continued causing Damon to let out a soft smile to her and she nodded slightly that she understood. As the room slowly agreed, the plans were made and then one by one everyone started to drift out of the room and started for home. Only Elena and Bonnie remained in the room. They shared a look before Bonnie walked over to Damon took a deep breath before she spoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “When I touched you yesterday…I saw how much care about me. I’ll be honest when Elena told me that you considered me one of your best friends, I decided that maybe we should have a fresh start?” Bonnie asked looking quietly apprehensive about what she was doing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Sure Bonnie…I’d like that. How about I come over tomorrow and I can help you go through the grimoires. Maybe have a chat about some things and I can even help find the spell for Alaric?’ Damon asked a little fearful that she would say no.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I can tag along if you want?” Elena spoke hoping to be a buffer and help ease the blossoming friendship that was starting to take place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “That’d be great, I’ll see after school” Bonnie spoke before she looked at Elena. “You coming?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “I want to spend some time we Damon if that’s ok?” Elena asked looking at her friend, it was a look that conveyed that this was what she needed after school and the explosive meeting. There was only something that she needed to talk to Damon about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “Alright I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bonnie said as she looked out the door, leaving them alone together. Elena looked at Damon from across the room for a few moments shaking her hand in nervousness before she realised what she was doing she had crashed into him pulling him down into a passionate kiss, Damon instantly responded. The bond flare to live intensifying every touch they were sharing making both of them gasp out in pleasure, as Elena started to trail her kisses down his neck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly the need to bite him and taste the nectar from his blood slide down was intoxicating and nearly overwhelming. Damon felt what she wanted through the bond but he knew that it was too soon to do it again and there still a great many things he hadn’t told her and he sensed through the bond that there was something on her mind; a question she’d had since she found out about the cure.</p>
<p>           </p>
<p>As the Kiss wound down, she slowly pulled Damon into a hug, trying to bury herself in him; she was afraid of the answer that she was not sure she would want to know the answer to. She pulled back slightly, he the soft look that Elena knew was meant only for her and she gained courage from the depth of his feelings for her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>            “In the future, when we found the cure…did you want to take it?” Elena asked Damon, knocking him back a foot in shock. He knew she was going to ask this as soon as she found out about it and he hoped that his answer would not scare her away</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What did everyone think?</p>
<p>Hope you all liked it, leave a kudos or a comment if you want till next time</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you all enjoyed, I will be editing and uploading the next chapter ASAP, till next time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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